Advancing Unmanned and Autonomous Robotics with IoT for Intelligent Interaction

Submit your paper here by 30 May 2026!

Introduction

The Internet of Things (IoT) and autonomous robotics are transforming medical procedures and patient care in the modern healthcare industry. To improve diagnostic accuracy and enable early illness detection and personalized treatment plans, IoT systems collect and analyze vast health data from interconnected devices. IoT-enabled unmanned systems assist with repetitive tasks, patient monitoring, and even surgery, expanding the capabilities of healthcare professionals. The integration of IoT with robotic systems not only improves efficiency but also enhances patient engagement and empowers medical staff. These technological innovations support remote patient monitoring, reduce errors, and streamline administrative workflows. However, ethical concerns and the need for responsible technology implementation must be addressed.

Historically, human-machine interaction (HMI) has focused on functional roles, where systems executed tasks based on fixed commands. As interactions become more natural and empathetic, emotional responsiveness including recognizing and reacting to human emotions gains importance. Unmanned and autonomous robotic systems have become practical applications of connected technology, designed to emulate aspects of human behavior. These systems integrate advanced sensors, real-time data exchange, and mechanical actuators to engage with their environment and users more intuitively. Their growing use in healthcare demonstrates benefits for companionship, rehabilitation, and mental health such as reducing distress in pediatric patients or providing valuable interaction for children with autism.

Customized telerobots for space and industrial tasks, as well as remotely operated machines in hazardous environments, have proven effective in both medical and high-risk applications. Ongoing research explores autonomous navigation, close human-robot collaboration, human-supervised robotics in challenging settings, and social interaction frameworks. The practical validation of general-purpose unmanned robotic systems is still in development. Human-machine interaction lies at the core of applied IoT in robotics, emphasizing seamless, intuitive communication and collaboration. This special issue highlights HMI techniques including facial recognition, emotional awareness, and natural language interaction. It also investigates design principles for socially responsive robotic systems that interpret and adapt to human emotions and social behavior.

List of topic areas

· A Systematic Assessment of IoT and the Role of Unmanned and Autonomous Robotics in Modern Healthcare 
· Intelligent Control Integration: Enhancing Human-Robot Interaction with Adaptive IoT Methods 
· Conceptual Model for Developing IoT-Assisted Collaborative Understanding in Robotics Evaluation of Human-Robot Interaction and Challenges in Task Planning and Coordination 
· Human-Centric Design Frameworks for IoT-Enabled Robotic Interfaces Impact of Human-Robot Interaction on User Trust and Sensitivity 
· Multimodal Communication for Human-Robot Collaboration Using Natural Gestures Effects of System Transparency and Collaboration Orientation on Human-Robot Teamwork 
· Opportunities for Affective Social Intelligence in IoT-Based Robotic Systems Framework for Defining Collaboration Levels in Industrial Human-Robot Integration 
· Human-in-the-Loop Strategies for Improving Robotic Interaction via Extended Reality

Submissions Information

Submissions are made using ScholarOne Manuscripts. Registration and access are available at: https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/ijius 
Author guidelines must be strictly followed. Please see: https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/journal/ijius#jlp_author_guidelines

Authors should select (from the drop-down menu) the special issue title at the appropriate step in the submission process, i.e. in response to 'Please select the issue you are submitting to'. Submitted articles must not have been previously published, nor should they be under consideration for publication anywhere else while under review for this journal.

Key deadlines

Opening date for manuscripts submissions: 30/06/2025 
Closing date for manuscripts submission: 30/05/2026