# Human–Robot Interaction in Indoor Mobile Robotics: Current State, Interaction Modalities, Applications, and Future Challenges

## TL;DR

This paper reviews how indoor mobile robots interact with humans in environments like hospitals and homes, focusing on interaction methods and future improvements.

## Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive survey of HRI modalities and challenges in indoor mobile robotics, offering insights for future development.

## Key findings

- Speech, gesture, and multimodal interfaces are key interaction methods in human-centered environments.
- Technical challenges include robust perception and navigation in dynamic spaces.
- Design trade-offs and integration lessons are highlighted through healthcare and domestic case studies.

## Abstract

This paper provides a comprehensive survey of Human–Robot Interaction (HRI) for indoor mobile robots operating in human-centered environments such as hospitals, laboratories, offices, and homes. We review interaction modalities—including speech, gesture, touch, visual, and multimodal interfaces—and examine key user experience factors such as usability, trust, and social acceptance. Implementation challenges are discussed, encompassing safety, privacy, and regulatory considerations. Representative case studies, including healthcare and domestic platforms, highlight design trade-offs and integration lessons. We identify critical technical challenges, including robust perception, reliable multimodal fusion, navigation in dynamic spaces, and constraints on computation and power. Finally, we outline future directions, including embodied AI, adaptive context-aware interactions, and standards for safety and data protection. This survey aims to guide the development of indoor mobile robots capable of collaborating with humans naturally, safely, and effectively.