The Shifting Paradigms of Disaster Robotics Three Decades of Research

ABSTRACT The increasing frequency and magnitude of natural disasters worldwide have raised the demand for advanced robotic systems in disaster response. In this research, a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of 2,201 Web of Science database papers was investigate systematically global research trends, patterns and emerging frontiers in disaster robotics. CiteSpace, the Bibliometrix R package, and VOSviewer were used for data analysis. The results reveal a fluctuating yet consistently rising publication trends from 1992 to 2025. Asia leads global research output, with Japan as the most productive country but with limited international collaboration, while European countries engage in more extensive international cooperation. The Journal of Field Robotics is identified as the most influential publication in this field. Over time, research on disaster robots has gradually shifted from hardware development to intelligence technologies, such as deep learning and perception‐enabled robotic systems. The study provides valuable insights to guide future research directions and strengthen global collaboration in disaster robotics.