Allen Robot: A Modular and Adaptive Mobile Robot for Enhanced Customer Service in Shopping Malls

Social service robots are emerging as versatile solutions in various domains, enhancing human-robot interaction and service experiences. This study presents “Allen,” a lowcost social service robot developed to minimize human contact during the COVID-19 pandemic and designed for deployment in malls and theme parks. Allen integrates human-centric design with advanced technologies, including LiDAR and depth cameras, Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM), path planning, and obstacle avoidance for autonomous navigation. It interacts with customers via graphical and speech-based interfaces and employs Natural Language Processing (NLP), including ChatGPT, for natural query responses. Field trials in a shopping mall indicate a 72% customer satisfaction rate and 63% customer excitement level, demonstrating improved engagement and enhanced visitor experience.