Embodied technologies for stress management in children: A systematic review

Abstract

Stress-related health problems in children have increased in recent years, resulting in significant negative physical and mental impacts on children’s daily lives. This systematic review explores the potential of embodied technologies, such as robots, smart wearables, and the Internet of Things (IoT), as tools for managing stress in children. The goal of this systematic review is to identify the design opportunities of embodied technologies in stress management, by looking for answers in terms of different technologies, users, issues, and challenges addressed in the 91 selected papers. Through the frequency and thematic analysis, we identified six main challenges and eight design opportunities for embodied technologies. Where there are gaps and opportunities in research, we propose to focus on connectivity and active sensing through connected objects, by exploring the potential of the Internet of Robotic Things (IoRT) as an M-health solution for providing real-time and personalized stress detection and interventions for children in various daily life settings.