AUTHOR=Lingam Shiva Nischal , Verstegen Rutger , Petermeijer Sebastiaan M. , Martens Marieke TITLE=Human interactions with delivery drones in public spaces: design recommendations from recipient and bystander perspectives JOURNAL=Frontiers in Robotics and AI VOLUME=Volume 12 - 2025 YEAR=2025 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/robotics-and-ai/articles/10.3389/frobt.2025.1580289 DOI=10.3389/frobt.2025.1580289 ISSN=2296-9144 ABSTRACT=Drones will likely deliver packages in public spaces, where humans interact as recipients of the package and as bystanders passing by. Understanding the human needs and uncertainties that may arise during these interactions is crucial to ensure safety. This user-centered design study employed twelve interviews and four focus groups to identify key requirements for recipients and bystanders interacting with delivery drones in public spaces. Findings demonstrate different information needs and preferred interface modalities between recipients and bystanders across various interaction stages, from ordering a package to the drone’s retraction after delivery. This paper highlights essential design features and offers concrete design recommendations based on the interaction requirements. These recommendations can inform the standardization and customization of design features for each interaction stage, enhancing safety and facilitating natural human-drone interaction. Future research should build on these recommendations and validate the design concepts through experimental user studies involving human interactions with delivery drones in public spaces.