Robots are no longer confined to factory floors or the pages of science fiction. These days, they’re administering care in hospitals, offering emotional comfort to the elderly, serving us food in restaurants and even providing companionship. Now that these machines are becoming part of our homes, workplaces and daily lives, understanding how we interact with them is more important than ever.
Enter: Human-robot interaction, or HRI, a field that examines how people and robots can communicate, collaborate and relate to one another.
Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) Definition
Human-robot interaction (HRI) is an interdisciplinary field dedicated to understanding how people and robots communicate, collaborate and coexist with each other. Drawing from engineering, computer science and social science, the goal is to design robots that can understand and respond to human behavior in ways that feel natural and intuitive.
At its core, HRI isn’t just about improving functionality or efficiency, it’s about building machines that feel natural and intuitive to be around. From autonomous vehicles that interpret pedestrian body language to robotic stuffed animals that help soothe dementia patients, this field covers a wide range of applications. And as artificial intelligence continues to make robots more capable — and, in some cases, more humanlike — designing effective human-robot interactions is becoming increasingly vital for safety, usability and long-term adoption.
What Is Human-Robot Interaction?
Human-robot interaction, or HRI, is the study and design of how people and robots engage with each other. This multi-disciplinary field explores everything from how we communicate and connect emotionally with robots to how they operate autonomously and integrate into shared spaces. The goal is to create robots that don’t just perform tasks efficiently, but fit into the natural flow of daily life.
“It’s about designing robots to work with us, not just for us,” Neil Sahota, a United Nations AI advisor and the CEO of ACSILabs, told Built In. In practice, this means teaching machines to “speak human” — interpreting gestures, responding to tone of voice, respecting personal space and, at times, even knowing when to make eye contact or crack a joke. Ultimately, it’s about enabling seamless cooperation between humans and robots to support and enhance what people can do.
Types of Human-Robot Interaction
At this point, most human-robot interaction can be separated into two categories: proximal and remote. The robot’s intended use directly shapes its design.
Proximal
Proximal interaction refers to robots that operate in close physical proximity to humans, often acting as assistants or companions. These robots are designed to work safely and intuitively around people in shared spaces, using hardware like depth and tactile sensors, touch-sensitive screens and cameras capable of facial and gesture recognition to help them interpret and respond to human behavior.
“In these environments, robots need to be aware of human proximity, body language and even subtle facial expressions,” Sahota said. He pointed out that proximal robots often respond with expressive eyes, head movements and gestures that convey emotional cues, helping to build trust when they’re close to people.
Remote
Remote robots are controlled from a distance. They’re typically used in situations when it’s too risky to have a human present — like bomb disposal or deep-sea exploration — or when high precision is required, like robot-assisted surgery. To achieve this, these machines need reliable, sophisticated communication systems to maintain precise control and send clear, useful information back to their operator in real time. And since the operator isn’t physically present, things like cameras, sensors, haptic feedback and joystick-based control systems help make the robot feel like an extension of the person using it.
“The distinctions do influence design,” Zac Bensing, a mechanical engineer and senior product designer at Brain Corp, told Built In. “Proximal robots tend to be designed for emotional connection, while remote robots focus more on control and precision.”
Examples of Human Robot Interaction
Below are some standout examples of human-robot interaction in action.
Manufacturing Cobots
In manufacturing, robots are no longer confined behind cages. Collaborative robots, or cobots, are built to work safely alongside people, taking on repetitive or physically demanding tasks. The idea is to free up human workers, allowing them to take on more nuanced or complex parts of the job. At Ford and Toyota factories, for example, cobots from Symbio Robotics and Universal Robots’ UR10 put together transmissions, grease camshafts and top off engine oil — tasks once considered too intricate for automation.
Warehouse Logistics
Robots in warehouses often work in tandem with people to move goods quickly and efficiently. Navigating hectic environments and avoiding collisions is central to their design, which requires high-resolution sensors, real-time mapping, path optimization algorithms and machine learning models that detect and predict human movement in shared spaces. Amazon has added some 520,000 mobile robots to its fulfillment centers since 2012, and in that time, the company says it has added more than one million jobs, showing that automation can support — not replace — human workforces.
Hospital Automation
Robots are increasingly taking over routine, non-clinical tasks in healthcare facilities — such as delivering lab samples, transporting medications, restocking supplies and handling administrative duties — to help reduce the burden on medical staff. This way, nurses and caregivers can direct more of their focus on providing hands-on patient care, whether that’s providing emotional support or responding quickly to changes in a patient’s condition. One standout example is Moxi, a collaborative robot that freed up 600 hours of staff time over a three month period at Mary Washington Hospital, a 471-bed facility, after just two units were deployed.
Rehabilitation Tools
Robots are taking on a larger role in physical therapy, prosthetics and assistive care, helping people recover movement after a traumatic injury or adapt to lifelong mobility challenges. Wearable motor-assisted exoskeletons, for instance, support movement, prevent injury and aid in recovery by guiding patients through repetitive, targeted motions. And robotic prostheses like bionic hands, arms and (sometimes) legs interpret muscle signals — or even brain activity, in some cases — to control artificial limbs in performing everyday tasks. From diagnosis to recovery, these devices represent a shift toward full-cycle robotic care that promotes long-term wellbeing.
Social Robots for Emotional Support
Social robots offer companionship.Whether they’re furry, tail-wagging pets or humanoids, these machines are designed to demonstrate emotional responses through touch, facial recognition and voice interaction in response to human cues. By fostering a sense of connection, these mechanical stand-ins have been found to reduce loneliness and support mental well-being. One of the most prominent use cases is in elder care, where robots like Paro, an AI-powered robotic baby seal, have been clinically shown to reduce stress and lift mood. While older adults are a key group benefiting from this technology, social robots are also being explored in therapy, autism support and even customer service roles.
Autonomous Vehicles
Human-robot interaction is pivotal to self-driving technology, where the “robot” is the autonomous vehicle that needs to accurately interpret and respond to real-world behavior from pedestrians, cyclists and other drivers. Companies like Waymo have logged more than 71 million miles of rider-only trips on public roads that not only transport passengers from point A to point B, but train their systems as they move through unpredictable environments. Studies show that for autonomous vehicles to operate safely at scale, they’ll need interfaces that clearly convey intent, allowing pedestrians to decide when it’s safe to cross in front of them – in hand with systems capable of recognizing human body language, like waving, nodding or shifting posture, that people instinctively use to negotiate shared space. AVs must learn these, too.
Education Robots
Robots are increasingly being used in education, not just as tools but as teaching partners — especially for children with autism. Part educational tool, part social robots, humanoids like Nao or Kaspar have shown to be helpful in making these children often feel more comfortable, delivering social cues like facial expressions, speech and eye contact in a clear, consistent way.
Why Is Studying Human-Robot Interaction Important?
Human-robot interaction sits at the intersection of human expectations and machine capabilities. If we don’t get that connection right, we risk building powerful tools that no one actually wants to use.
As Sahota puts it, “The future of robotics isn’t mechanical, but rather relational.” Studying HRI is critical because it helps us build systems that not only complete tasks, but also understand and support the people they’re designed to assist. This is especially important given that robots are shifting from isolated tools to active collaborators — whether it’s cobots on factory floors, AI assistants in healthcare diagnostics or emotional-support bots.
The success of this shift depends on how we frame these relationships, Bensing said. “Will it be an ‘us vs. them’ mentality, or can we develop robots that foster collaboration and empathy?” With robots entering our homes, workplaces, schools and social spaces, the goal shouldn’t be domination or dependence, but partnership. Insights pulled from HRI research provide the framework to shape that partnership intentionally.
Human-Robot Interaction Challenges
The field of human-robot interaction faces several challenges, starting with a lack of standardization around how robots should look, behave and communicate. Without clear guidelines, designers are left to make these decisions on their own — with little consensus on what works best across different contexts and applications.
But perhaps the greatest challenge of HRI is designing robots that are actually good at mimicking human-like behavior. As Bensing explained, “humans rely on subtle social cues, micro-expressions and a level of emotional intelligence that is difficult to mimic.” People naturally expect more from machines designed to look and act like us, and falling short of those expectations can “harm trust and hinder adoption,” he said. This is often referred to as the “uncanny valley,” where robots appear almost (but not quite) human, triggering a sense of unease.
Can a Human Have a Relationship with a Robot?
Humans can, and often do, form emotional connections with robots. It’s a direct result of anthropomorphism, or our natural instinct to assign human traits to non-human things. Those feelings of attachment to your car, plant or favorite jacket are just your brain doing what it does best: creating meaning and forming bonds. Human or not, people are hardwired to connect — even if it’s with a machine.
“We do it all the time,” Sahota said, noting how Roomba owners often ascribe a name to their dust-hungry pucks, and grieve when robotic pets “die.”
These relationships may not be “real” in a traditional sense, but they can still be meaningful and valid in their own way. This is especially true in elder care and mental health, where robots are proving they can fill emotional and social gaps by offering companionship and support without replacing human relationships entirely.
The strength of the connection largely depends on what people expect from the robot. As Bensing points out, this will typically come down to what a robot can realistically reciprocate. The better the robot is at mimicking human traits, the deeper the emotional connection may be.
But this bond is even possible with simpler, non-humanoid machines, because our expectations of them are lower. “We can put emotions into everything from blobs to chairs,” AI ethicist Kate Darling told the Guardian, “People may even respond better to non-human robots, because what’s often disappointing is when things that look like you don’t quite behave the way you expect.”
At the end of the day, “we don’t need robots to be human” to have a fulfilling relationship with them, Sahota said, “we need them to be human-compatible.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a human have a relationship with a robot?
Yes. Humans often form meaningful relationships with robots through anthropomorphism, creating valid emotional bonds based on what the robot can realistically reciprocate.
Is there a robot you can interact with?
Yes, there are many robots designed for interaction, ranging from social robots designed for companionship to remote-controlled machines and educational humanoids.
What are the challenges of human-robot interaction?
The field of human-robot interaction faces several challenges, including a lack of standardization around how robots should look and behave, as well as the difficulty of designing machines that can effectively mimic human social cues. Humanoid robots face particularly high expectations, and failing to meet them can hinder trust in the technology and slow down its adoption.
Is falling in love with AI bad?
Falling in love with AI isn’t inherently bad, but it raises important questions about the nature of those relationships and the balance between human connection and technology.
Can a robot and human get married?
At this time, humans cannot marry robots — human-to-human unions remain the only marriages recognized under global law. However, a woman in the Netherlands “married” a hologram, and a man in the U.S. recently proposed to his AI girlfriend named ‘Sol,’ despite being married in real life with two kids.
