Floating Companions: A New Design Space for Soft Indoor Robots

Floating Companion: Exploring Design Space for Soft Floating Robots in Indoor

We introduce a comprehensive design space for soft floating robots, moving beyond isolated prototypes to define ten key dimensions for indoor interaction. By combining insights from experts in HCI and robotics, we outline how these gentle, buoyant machines can serve as companions, assistants, and atmospheric elements. Our framework offers actionable principles to help designers leverage the unique 3D mobility of these robots for everyday life.

"While floors, tables, and other surfaces become increasingly saturated with smart devices, the volumetric mid-air space remains an underutilized interaction space—one that soft floating robots are uniquely positioned to occupy."