Scientometric deconstruction of developmental dynamics in upper-limb rehabilitation robotics: evidence network analysis via CiteSpace

• The United States leads in publication volume and centrality in upper-limb rehabilitation robotics research. • Northeast University and Univ Shanghai Sci&Technol are the most prolific institutions in this field. • Research in upper-limb rehabilitation robotics shows an overall upward trend but with limited collaboration among researchers and institutions. • Key research directions include core technical methods, robot design, control strategies, clinical applications, and emerging technologies.