Bridging design disciplines: a literature review of biologically-inspired design, human-centered design, and human-robot interaction

Abstract As robotic technologies become more integrated into society, there is a growing demand for systems that are not only technically robust, but also socially accepted, safe, and designed for long-term use. Biologically-Inspired Design (BID), Human-Centered Design (HCD), and Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) each offer valuable theories, methodologies, and tools to support the design and evaluation of such systems. Despite their complementary goals, these fields have largely developed in isolation. The lack of integration across BID, HCD, and HRI presents significant barriers for researchers and designers seeking to create biologically-informed, human-centered robots that facilitate meaningful interactions. In this work, an integrative literature review was conducted to examine the fields of BID, HCD, and HRI. An analytic categorization approach was used to categorize 63 papers into one or more of the three fields: 20 in BID, 27 in HCD, and 21 in HRI, with some papers categorized into multiple categories. Within each field, an inductive, interpretive coding and thematic analysis were used to identify key terminology, tools, methods, and conceptual frameworks, helping establish a shared vocabulary and summarize the state of the art. This was followed by a synthesis of limitations and field-specific gaps. Cross-field analysis revealed only four papers demonstrating overlap within the reviewed corpus: three showing implicit connections between HCD and HRI, and one showing implicit overlap between BID and HRI with indirect ties to HCD. This review lays the groundwork for more integrated design research by identifying opportunities for collaboration across BID, HCD, and HRI, highlighting the potential for more biologically-informed, user-centered, and socially responsive robotic systems.