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About

Rabiatul Adawiah Abdul Rahman is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of robotics and pediatric rehabilitation, specializing in socially assistive robotics (SAR) for children with cerebral palsy (CP). Her work has fundamentally shaped how humanoid robots, particularly the NAO platform, can be integrated into therapeutic settings to motivate and engage young patients during motor function therapy. Her most-cited paper, "Emergence of Socially Assistive Robotics in Rehabilitation for Children with Cerebral Palsy: A Review" (2016, 47 citations), provides a comprehensive framework for SAR's potential in elderly care, cognitive impairment, and physical disability rehabilitation. Her 2015 studies on human-robot interaction (23 citations each) offer critical reflections on interactive scenario design and candidly document the clinical "ups and downs" of deploying humanoid robots, addressing challenges like spasticity, muscle weakness, and poor motor function. By bridging engineering and clinical practice, Abdul Rahman has established herself as a key voice in assistive technology, demonstrating how robot appearance and engagement strategies can transform therapy adherence. Her work continues to inspire new approaches in pediatric rehabilitation robotics, with growing impact across rehabilitation engineering and human-robot interaction communities.