Ethical and Social Implications of the Use of Robots in Rehabilitation Practice

Abstract

This chapter analyzes the impact of introducing robots in rehabilitation practice from an ethical perspective, and characterizes the major ethical tensions that arise when introducing robots in rehabilitation practice and research. It integrates ethical considerations in the clinical reasoning and clinical decision-making process when introducing robots in rehabilitation practice. The chapter compares the benefits and limitations of using robots in rehabilitation practice and research from an ethical standpoint. It concerns the implications and potential for a code of values and norms that can guide the practical decision making of professionals in the professional ethics. The principle of autonomy upholds the belief that every person has a right to self-determination and to be free from interference, risks to privacy, or unnecessary constraints. Such a principle has important implications for robotics in rehabilitation. Robotic systems are vulnerable to other well-established risks to informed consent, much as other assistive technologies (ATs).