Wearable social robots for the disabled and impaired

Wearable social robots can be found on a chain around the neck, on clothing, or in a shirt or jacket pocket. Due to their constant availability and responsiveness, they can support the disabled and impaired in a variety of ways and improve their lives. This article first identifies and summarizes robotic and artificial intelligence functions of wearable social robots. It then derives and categorizes areas of application. Following this, the opportunities and risks, such as those relating to privacy and intimacy, are highlighted. Overall, it emerges that wearable social robots can be useful for this group, for example, by providing care and information anywhere and at any time. However, significant improvements are still needed to overcome existing shortcomings.

Keywords

Subject (DDC)

330 - Wirtschaft

Project

Event

International Conference on Social Robotics (ICSR)

Exhibition start date

Exhibition end date

Conference start date

Conference end date

Date of the last check

ISBN

978-981-95-2398-6
978-981-95-2397-9

ISSN

Language

English

Created during FHNW affiliation

Yes

Strategic action fields FHNW

Publication status

Published

Review

peer-reviewed

Open access category

Closed

License

Citation

Bendel, O. (2026). Wearable social robots for the disabled and impaired. In M. Staffa, J.-J. Cabibihan, B. Siciliano, S. S. Ge, L. Bodenhagen, A. Tapus, S. Rossi, F. Cavallo, L. Fiorini, M. Matarese, & H. He (Eds.), Social Robotics + AI. 17th International Conference, ICSR+AI 2025, Naples, Italy, September 10–12, 2025, Proceedings, Part III (pp. 97–111). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-95-2398-6_8

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