This study provides a systematic review of the recent advances in designing the intelligent tutoring robot (ITR), and summarises the status quo of applying artificial intelligence (AI) techniques. We first analyse the environment of the ITR and propose a relationship model for describing interactions of ITR with the students, the social milieu and the curriculum. Then, we transform the relationship model into the perception-planning-action model for exploring what AI techniques are suitable to be applied in the ITR. This article provides insights on promoting human-robot teaching-learning process and AI-assisted educational techniques, illustrating the design guidelines and future research perspectives in intelligent tutoring robots.