Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42581251›Full record

ReviewJournal of robotic surgery2026

Research hotspots, knowledge structure, and emerging trends in healthcare robotics for older adults: a bibliometric analysis (2015-2026).

Xi Ling, Ruiqin Yan

Abstract readReview
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Journal of robotic surgery, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Xi LingSchool of Physical Education, Qujing Normal University, Qujing City, China.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0000-8437-7486
Ruiqin YanSchool of Physical Education, Qujing Normal University, Qujing City, China. yrq0607@163.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0002-9444-6718

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Although applications in the field of Robotic Technologies for Older Adults' Healthcare are becoming increasingly widespread, existing research has largely focused on specific application scenarios, and a comprehensive understanding of the global research landscape, knowledge structure, thematic evolution, and future trends remains limited. This review aimed to conduct a bibliometric analysis and visualization of the field of Robotic Technologies for Older Adults' Healthcare, revealing the research landscape, research hotspots, thematic evolution, and future development trends in this field. This review adopted the bibliometric analysis method. The Web of Science Core Collection was selected as the core database, covering the period from January 2015 to July 2026, and literature screening was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. Conduct bibliometric analysis using R Bibliometrix, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace, including publication trends, citation analysis, collaboration networks, keyword co-occurrence, topic clustering, and outlier detection. Meanwhile, the PubMed database was additionally included to assist in validating the results of the bibliometric analysis. This research field has developed rapidly since 2016. Among them, China has the highest number of publications, while the United Kingdom has the highest average citation impact, indicating a discrepancy between research output and academic influence. International Journal of Social Robotics ranked first in both the number of publications and total citations, while BMJ Open had the highest average citations per article. Most core research institutions were concentrated in Japan, showing the characteristic of regional concentration in this research field. Core authors formed several research groups (such as Yu, Bevilacqua, and Rigaud), but extensive international collaboration has not yet been formed. Robotic Technologies for Older Adults' Healthcare is gradually forming a knowledge system integrating technology development, healthcare applications, and evidence-based development. Three hotspot themes were further identified, including Intelligent Assistive Robots, Healthcare, Rehabilitation, and Wellness for the Aging Population, and Trend Forecasting. Among the burst keywords, "PARO," "Gait," and "Deep Learning" indicate that robotic technologies are focusing on older adults' social companionship, physical function recovery, and personalized health management, representing the frontier hotspots in this field. In the future, AI technologies, multimodal intelligent interaction, personalized health management, and cross-disciplinary collaborative innovation may become the key driving forces for the continuous development of this field, promoting the translation of clinical effectiveness in the field of Robotic Technologies for Older Adults' Healthcare. This review provides a comprehensive knowledge map of Robotic Technologies for Older Adults' Healthcare and offers evidence-based insights for medical researchers and policymakers regarding future technological developments and clinical translation.

Indexed as

Health Services for the AgedHealth Services ResearchRoboticsAgedAged, 80 and overBibliometricsHumansBibliometric analysisHealthcare roboticsKnowledge structureOlder adultsResearch trends

Identifiers

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.