Social robots for child development: research hotspots, topic modeling, and collaborations

Social robots are increasingly used to support children’s cognitive, emotional, and social development, yet systematic research on overarching themes remains limited. This study addresses the gap with a bibliometric analysis of 5688 publications (2013–2023), leveraging Bibliometrix, VOSviewer, and Tableau. Results show a steady increase in publications, with a notable rise in the last decade due to advancements in AI and robotics. Key research areas identified include robotics education, human-robot interaction, STEM education, and the use of robots for children with disabilities. Emerging trends focus on preschool education, inclusivity, and classroom teaching. Four themes, including motor, niche, emerging/disappearing, and basic, highlight creativity development and AI integration as under-researched. The U.S. leads geographically, followed by China and Europe, revealing disparities between regions. These findings underscore the need for greater global collaboration to better integrate social robots into child development and therapy.