Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2026, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (28): 7404-7409.doi: 10.12307/2026.816

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Post-stroke rehabilitation robotics: current research status and hot topics in and outside China

Wang Xueting1, Yang Wei2, Wang Pengqin3   

  1. 1The First Clinical College, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenyang 110847, Liaoning Province, China; 2Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine Rehabilitation, First Veterans’ Hospital of Liaoning Province, Shenyang 110148, Liaoning Province, China; 3Second Department of Neurological Rehabilitation, The Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenyang 110032, Liaoning Province, China
  • Received:2025-09-10 Revised:2025-12-12 Online:2026-10-08 Published:2026-02-25
  • Contact: Wang Pengqin, MD, Doctoral supervisor, Chief physician, Professor, Second Department of Neurological Rehabilitation, The Affiliated Hospital of Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenyang 110032, Liaoning Province, China
  • About author:Wang Xueting, MD candidate, Attending physician, The First Clinical College, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shenyang 110847, Liaoning Province, China
  • Supported by:
    National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine—Liaoning Peng’s Eye Acupuncture Academic School Inheritance Studio Project (Second Round), No. LPGZS2012-07 (to WPQ); Liaoning Provincial Central Government Guiding Local Science and Technology Development (Special Project), No. 2023JH6/100200005 (to WPQ); Basic Research Project of Liaoning Provincial Department of Education, No. LJKMZ20221337 (to WPQ); Shenyang Municipal Science and Technology Plan Project, No. 21-174-9-13 (to WPQ) 

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Abstract: BACKGROUND: In recent years, the research on stroke rehabilitation robots has developed rapidly both domestically and internationally. It involves the intersection of multiple disciplines such as rehabilitation medicine, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and sensor technology, and has become a research hotspot in the field of stroke rehabilitation.
OBJECTIVE: To grasp the current status and hotspots of research in this field through a comparative analysis of domestic and international research on post-stroke rehabilitation robots, and predict the future development trend.
METHODS: The Web of Science Core Collection and CNKI were selected as data sources. Literature related to post-stroke rehabilitation robots published between 2005 and 2025 was collected. CiteSpace 6.2.R3 visualization software and bibliometric methods were employed to conduct a comparative analysis focusing on annual publication volume, contributing countries, and keywords, highlighting differences in post-stroke rehabilitation robots between Chinese and international research. Additionally, cutting-edge technologies in and outside China were summarized and projected. 
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) A total of 3 522 articles in English and 717 articles in Chinese were included in the study. (2) Totally 81 countries participated in the study between 2005 and 2025, forming a cross-continental cooperative network centered on USA, China, and Italy. (3) In terms of the trend of publications, both domestic and foreign studies on post-stroke rehabilitation robotics had shown year-on-year growth, with an average annual growth rate of 13.06% for foreign publications and a domestic growth rate of 20.17%, which was about 1.5 times higher than that of foreign publications. (4) From the perspective of research trends, foreign research had experienced the mechanism exploration period, clinical transformation period and intelligent integration period, and was currently focusing on multidisciplinary intersection and technology integration, such as robot perception system, machine learning technology and other cutting-edge directions. Domestic research started from the introduction of technology and clinical validation, and gradually developed to the stage of intelligent integration and precision rehabilitation. In recent years, significant progress had been made in the brain-computer interface, virtual reality technology and other multimodal integration. (5) In terms of research hotspots, foreign research focused on the design optimization and multimodal integration of robotic technology, while domestic research focused on the functional outcome after stroke. In addition, foreign countries were more advanced in neurophysiological signal fusion, advanced algorithms, and model construction, while domestic research showed unique advantages in the combination of rehabilitation technology and traditional Chinese medicine therapy. These findings indicate that the field of post-stroke rehabilitation robots is experiencing rapid development, with technological integration and clinical translation being core future trends. While domestic and international studies exhibit distinct emphases, both are committed to enhancing the intelligence, lightweight design, and clinical practicality of rehabilitation robots. Although domestic research started later, it has developed rapidly, gradually forming a multimodal technology system characterized by intelligent integration and precision rehabilitation. Future domestic and international research can complement and support each other. China contributes clinical big data and application scenarios, while foreign countries provide core technologies and innovative methods. Together, they promote breakthroughs and applications in post-stroke rehabilitation robot technology.

Key words: stroke, robotics, rehabilitation, multimodal integration, bibliometrics, research frontiers, CiteSpace, visualization analysis

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