Presentation
Hands-Free Control of Assistive Robots for Upper-Limb Mobility Impairments: A Focused Review of Interaction Design, Autonomy, and Evaluation
SessionWednesday Poster Session
DescriptionThis review examines recent advances in hands-free control of assistive robots for individuals with upper-limb disabilities who may be unable to use conventional handheld or touch-based interfaces. A focused review of 13 studies published between 2020 and 2026 was conducted to evaluate how control modality, autonomy level, and control mapping influence usability and cognitive workload in assistive robotic systems.
The reviewed systems implemented interaction methods including head motion, eye gaze, facial gestures, voice commands, and multimodal interfaces for activities such as object retrieval and in-home assistance. Across studies, systems that combined high-level user intent specification with shared or autonomous robot assistance consistently demonstrated lower cognitive workload and improved usability compared to systems relying on continuous manual teleoperation. Findings further indicated that usability outcomes were more strongly influenced by autonomy integration and control mapping design than by sensing modality alone. Current evaluation practices remain limited by short-term laboratory testing and low inclusion of individuals with mobility impairments, highlighting the need for more user-centered and clinically relevant validation approaches.
The reviewed systems implemented interaction methods including head motion, eye gaze, facial gestures, voice commands, and multimodal interfaces for activities such as object retrieval and in-home assistance. Across studies, systems that combined high-level user intent specification with shared or autonomous robot assistance consistently demonstrated lower cognitive workload and improved usability compared to systems relying on continuous manual teleoperation. Findings further indicated that usability outcomes were more strongly influenced by autonomy integration and control mapping design than by sensing modality alone. Current evaluation practices remain limited by short-term laboratory testing and low inclusion of individuals with mobility impairments, highlighting the need for more user-centered and clinically relevant validation approaches.
Event Type
Poster
TimeWednesday, October 21st5:30pm - 6:30pm PDT
LocationSummit Pavilion