A Systematic Review of Social Robots in Shopping Environments

Social robots, driven by cutting-edge technologies are designed to cater to various societal needs, facilitating complex human interactions involving multiple users and stakeholders. Their integration into daily life is anticipated to increase significantly. Within this context, the domain of shopping robots, which play a crucial role in enhancing and diversifying shopping experiences where human interaction is paramount, holds immense potential for development. This article aims to provide an overview of the current landscape of shopping robots and explore future research directions in this evolving field. Through this systematic review, key trends and insights in the field of shopping robots are identified, while also offering a categorization in the form of a 3D conceptual scheme, called the Public Space Robot (PSR) framework. The outcomes reveal significant developments over the past two decades (2002-2024), with the main concentration on developing and deploying mobile robots that offer functional or autonomous interaction for navigation assistance and customer service in shopping malls and retail stores.