Robot Therapy

Abstract

This chapter discusses the current and potential use of robot technology in mental healthcare. Robots use the transition using effectors, which may shift the robot itself (locomotion) or move objects in the background (manipulation), making judgments based on sensor input. Robotics has long been defined as the science that examines the intelligent links between perception and action, but in recent years, this definition has shifted outward, with a greater emphasis on challenges connected to connecting with real people in the virtual environment. This transformation has been referred to in the literature as human-centered robotics, and a developing area in the last decade focusing on problems in this arena is known as human-robot interaction (HRI). Robotics technology is still in its early phases in mental healthcare, but it represents a potentially powerful tool in the professional's toolkit. Socially assistive robotics (SAR) is an up-and-coming field that has spawned a slew of fascinating mental health applications.