The field of socially aware robotics is moving towards developing more sophisticated and human-like interaction capabilities. Researchers are focusing on creating robots that can understand and respect human personal space, navigate through crowded environments while minimizing social discomfort, and interact with humans in a more natural and intuitive way. A key area of innovation is the development of 3D personal space models that take into account the vertical dimension, allowing robots to better understand and respect human boundaries. Another important direction is the creation of socially aware navigation algorithms that balance efficiency, safety, and social awareness, enabling robots to move through crowded environments with high adaptability and low disruption. Noteworthy papers include:

• Beyond the Plane, which proposes a novel three-dimensional personal space model that integrates both height and horizontal proximity to quantify discomfort.
• Socially Aware Robot Crowd Navigation via Online Uncertainty-Driven Risk Adaptation, which presents a data-driven navigation algorithm that balances efficiency, safety, and social awareness.