Uses of assistive technology incorporating smart camera features in the rehabilitation of people living with disabilities: a scoping review

Purpose The objective of this scoping review was to explore the use of assistive technology incorporating smart camera features in the rehabilitation of people living with disabilities. Materials and methods This review was conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews. Articles were eligible if they considered assistive technology that incorporated at least one smart camera feature. Rehabilitation in any setting was considered. Research including participants of any age with any form of disability, both self-reported and diagnosed, was considered. Results 25 studies were included in the final synthesis. Most studies investigated assistive technology for visual impairment (n = 23). The most explored devices were smartphones (n = 16) and/or smart glasses (n = 13). Most studies focused on text-to-speech (n = 22) and/or object recognition features (n = 15). One study focused on facial recognition for people with Alzheimer’s disease and one on reading for children with dyslexia. Conclusions Assistive technology incorporating smart camera features has been used mainly in the rehabilitation of people living with visual disabilities. Reported rehabilitative outcomes included enhanced reading ability and improved daily living skills. However, there were technical limitations, usability issues and high financial costs associated with various devices.