Preti Sara, Caserta Giulia, De Michieli Lorenzo, Boccardo Nicolò, di Bella Enrico
Department of Political and International Sciences, University of Genoa, 16125, Genoa, Italy.
Rehab Technologies Lab, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163, Genova, Italy.
Sci Rep. 2025 Sep 25;15(1):32788. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-15652-y.
Social impact assessment has gained increasing attention in recent years, emphasizing the added value and social changes brought by project activities alongside the sustainability of social actions. This study evaluates the economic and social impact of a robotics research project culminating in the development of Hannes, an advanced prosthetic hand resulting from collaboration between the Italian Institute of Technology and the Italian National Insurance Institute. Hannes is used in robotic assistance to treat individuals with upper limb differences. Data were collected through a clinical study involving myoelectric prostheses users who underwent functional and psychosocial assessments before and after using Hannes. The Social Return On Investment (SROI) methodology is employed to evaluate the impacts of the robotic device by analyzing qualitative, quantitative, and financial data to estimate the value created by research activities. Preliminary results suggest that for every euro invested, approximately 9 euros of social value are generated. This revelation highlights the substantial positive impact of Hannes and underscores the potential for further advancements in the field of robotics to improve the lives of individuals with limb loss. By providing a comprehensive analysis, this research contributes to understanding the broader social benefits of innovative healthcare technologies that mitigate social inequalities.
近年来，社会影响评估日益受到关注，它强调项目活动带来的附加值和社会变化以及社会行动的可持续性。本研究评估了一个机器人研究项目的经济和社会影响，该项目最终开发出了汉内斯，这是一款由意大利技术研究所和意大利国家保险研究所合作研发的先进假手。汉内斯用于机器人辅助治疗上肢有差异的个体。数据通过一项临床研究收集，该研究涉及使用肌电假肢的用户，他们在使用汉内斯之前和之后接受了功能和心理社会评估。社会投资回报率（SROI）方法被用于评估该机器人设备的影响，通过分析定性、定量和财务数据来估计研究活动创造的价值。初步结果表明，每投入1欧元，大约能产生9欧元的社会价值。这一发现凸显了汉内斯的巨大积极影响，并强调了机器人技术领域进一步进步以改善肢体缺失者生活的潜力。通过提供全面分析，本研究有助于理解创新医疗技术在减轻社会不平等方面的更广泛社会效益。
