A
mobile robot guest for interacting with a human resident performs a room-traversing
search procedure prior to interacting with the resident, and may verbally query whether the resident being sought is present. Upon finding the resident, the
mobile robot may facilitate a teleconferencing session with a remote
third party, or interact with the resident in a number of ways. For example, the
robot may carry on a dialogue with the resident, reinforce compliance with medication or other schedules, etc. In addition, the
robot incorporates safety features for preventing collisions with the resident; and the
robot may audibly announce and / or visibly indicate its presence in order to avoid becoming a dangerous obstacle. Furthermore, the
mobile robot behaves in accordance with an integral
privacy policy, such that any sensor recording or transmission must be approved by the resident.