Deployments concentrate in special education areas and primary/secondary institutions, with the USA leading country counts¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · review r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2026 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Special education areas (65 cases) and primary/secondary institutions (65 cases) account for the largest shares of deployments, followed by colleges/universities (39), kindergartens (23), and other areas (14). → Ferrer 2026 q2 i? The United States had the highest number of country-level cases (74), followed by China (16). → Ferrer 2026 (2)

Evidence¶

Ferrer 2026¶

Ferrer, I., & Aymerich-Franch, L. (2026). Social robots for education: a global analysis of deployments in real scenarios. Education Tech Research Dev. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-026-10611-4

q2 · i? · review · r2

Results overview of the documentary database reports the area distribution, with "special education areas in educational institutions and occupational therapy centers (65)" tied with primary/secondary institutions at 65 cases.

"The cases were localized in the following areas (see Fig. 1): kindergartens and nursery schools (23 cases); primary and secondary institutions (65); colleges, universities, and academies (39); special education areas in educational institutions and occupational therapy centers (65); and other areas (14)."

Ferrer 2026 (2)¶

Ferrer, I., & Aymerich-Franch, L. (2026). Social robots for education: a global analysis of deployments in real scenarios. Education Tech Research Dev. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-026-10611-4

q2 · i? · review · r2

Country-level results from the documentary database: "The United States had the highest number (74)" and "China followed with 16 cases," with examples of deployments per country.

"The United States had the highest number (74), including deployments such as the use of robots Milo and NAO for special education; Pediatric HAL and Victoria as patient simulators in colleges and academies; and Pepper to support language learning in middle/high schools. China followed with 16 cases"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• In primary and secondary schools, half of deployments involve programming-skills training, and teaching assistant is the dominant role — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• China has overtaken the US as the leading producer of AIEd higher education publications — related
• Research on generative AI in secondary STEM education is concentrated in the Global North, with 73% of affiliations and the United States accounting for 30% of publications — related
• AT research on students with disabilities is concentrated in the USA and dominated by qualitative designs and secondary education settings — related
• Patient simulation is the most prevalent role in higher education, concentrated in medical training contexts — related
• In special education, robots most often act as teachers delivering lessons, with psychological support the most relevant function — a narrower finding that bears on this claim