Robotics technology has been increasingly used as an educational and intervention tool for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, there remain research issues and challenges that need to be addressed to fully realize the potential benefits of robot-assisted therapy. This systematic review categorizes and summarizes the literature related to robot educational/training interventions and provides a conceptual framework for collecting and classifying these articles. The challenges identified in this review are classified into four levels: robot-level, algorithm-level, experimental-research-level, and application-level challenges. The review highlights possible future research directions and offers crucial insights for researchers interested in using robots in therapy. The most relevant findings suggest that robot-assisted therapy has the potential to improve social interaction, communication, and emotional regulation skills in children with ASD. Addressing these challenges and seeking new research avenues will be critical to advancing the field of robot-assisted therapy and improving outcomes for children with ASD. This study serves as a roadmap for future research in this important area.
Keywords: autism spectrum disorder; education; robotics; systematic literature review.