Peer-reviewed research
Testing the usability of a voice control system for assistive robotic arms in people with neurological conditions
Terrin Pulikottil et al., Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation, 2026 · DOI 10.1186/s12984-026-01902-1
Read the originalRead on October 16, 2026
- What it is
- A 2026 study that tested a voice control system for an assistive robotic arm with 20 healthy adults and 20 people with upper-limb impairment from neurological disease. Participants completed everyday tasks by voice and by joystick, and the authors compared success, usability and speech recognition accuracy.
- How much weight it carries
- Peer-reviewed open-access article. The sample is small, the system controls a robotic arm rather than a computer, and the speech engine was Italian, so the figures show that voice control can work for people with upper-limb impairment, not how Apple's Voice Control performs.
Facts taken from this source
- In a 2026 study of a voice control system for an assistive robotic arm, the voice control achieved a speech recognition accuracy of 87 percent, and its usability score was rated Good.
“Voice control achieved a recognition accuracy of 87% and a System Usability Scale (SUS) score corresponding to a “Good” adjective rating.” (Abstract (Results))
- In the 2026 robotic-arm study, all but one participant with neurological impairment could use the voice interface, whereas only 11 could operate the joystick.
“All participants except one with neurological impairment were able to successfully use the voice interface, whereas only 11 could operate the joystick.” (Abstract (Results))