Service Robots: A Systematic Literature Review

A service robot performs various professional services and domestic/personal services useful for organizations and humans in many application domains. Currently, the service robot industry is growing rapidly along with the technological advances of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In light of the great interest and potential of service robots, this study conducts a systematic review of the past and current research in service robots. This study examines the development activities for service robots across applications and industries and categorizes the service robots into four types. The categorization provides us with insights into the unique research activities and practices in each category of service robots. Then, this study analyzes the technological foundation that applies to all four categories of service robots. Finally, this study discusses opportunities and challenges that are understudied but potentially important for the future research of service robots.