A Cutting-Edge IoT-Based Framework to Boost Collaboration within Peer-to-Peer Networked Multi-Robot Healthcare Systems
Received: 14 July 2025 | Revised: 5 August 2025 and 26 August 2025 | Accepted: 30 August 2025 | Online: 8 December 2025
Corresponding author: Hayet Tlijani
Abstract
This study introduces an innovative Internet of Mobile Robots (IoMR) framework specifically designed for healthcare applications, focusing on improved collaboration and efficiency among a network of Connected Mobile Robots (CMRs). The CMRs play a pivotal role in critical tasks, such as patient monitoring, medication delivery, and environmental condition assessment, driving significant improvements in care delivery in healthcare settings. Equipped with cutting-edge embedded systems and intelligent functionalities, each CMR interacts dynamically with its surroundings and with a centralized IoT platform. This architecture facilitates real-time data sharing and collaborative decision-making among robots, fostering an ecosystem of responsive healthcare delivery. The design incorporates essential layers: a robust physical connectivity layer, a service layer dedicated to efficient data processing, and a comprehensive management dashboard that empowers operators with actionable insights. The framework employs advanced communication protocols, such as MQTT, to ensure reliable communication between various devices and mitigate interoperability, security, and scalability challenges. An IoMR prototype encompasses multiple mobile robots coordinated by a central processing unit, focusing on automation and efficiency in critical healthcare tasks. This implementation demonstrates not only resource-efficient processing but also minimal latency in task execution. The proposed approach optimizes operational efficiency in healthcare environments. By combining autonomous robotics and IoT technology, the proposed IoMR framework represents a significant advancement in healthcare delivery systems, ultimately improving patient outcomes and redefining the future of health services.
Keywords:
Internet of Mobile Robots (IoMR), Connected Mobile Robots (CMRs), healthcare applications, autonomous data collection, real-time processingDownloads
References
D. Silvera-Tawil, "Robotics in Healthcare: A Survey," SN Computer Science, vol. 5, no. 1, Jan. 2024, Art. no. 189. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42979-023-02551-0
A. Maibaum, A. Bischof, J. Hergesell, and B. Lipp, "A critique of robotics in health care," AI & Society, vol. 37, no. 2, pp. 467–477, Jun. 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-021-01206-z
V. Bhardwaj, A. Anooja, L. S. Vermani, Sunita, and B. K. Dhaliwal, "Smart cities and the IoT: an in-depth analysis of global research trends and future directions," Discover Internet of Things, vol. 4, no. 1, Oct. 2024, Art. no. 19. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43926-024-00076-3
R. Chataut, A. Phoummalayvane, and R. Akl, "Unleashing the Power of IoT: A Comprehensive Review of IoT Applications and Future Prospects in Healthcare, Agriculture, Smart Homes, Smart Cities, and Industry 4.0," Sensors, vol. 23, no. 16, Aug. 2023, Art. no. 7194. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/s23167194
H. Kabir, M. L. Tham, and Y. C. Chang, "Internet of robotic things for mobile robots: Concepts, technologies, challenges, applications, and future directions," Digital Communications and Networks, vol. 9, no. 6, pp. 1265–1290, Dec. 2023. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcan.2023.05.006
R. R. Shamshiri, E. Navas, V. Dworak, T. Schütte, C. Weltzien, and F. A. A. Cheein, "Internet of robotic things with a local LoRa network for teleoperation of an agricultural mobile robot using a digital shadow," Discover Applied Sciences, vol. 6, no. 8, Jul. 2024, Art. no. 414. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42452-024-06106-7
A. M. Al Shahrani, M. A. Alomar, K. N. Alqahtani, M. S. Basingab, B. Sharma, and A. Rizwan, "Machine Learning-Enabled Smart Industrial Automation Systems Using Internet of Things," Sensors, vol. 23, no. 1, Dec. 2022, Art. no. 324. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/s23010324
D. R. K. Sharma, R. K. Saxena, S. Kushwaha, B. Partap, and S. Sharma, "An Internet of Data Center Robotic Things for Cloud Robotics: A Concept of Data Center for a Green Environment," Journal of Science and Technology Paper, vol. 9, no. 10, 2024.
A. Kumar, D. Dixit, A. Kumar, and A. Yadav, "Importance and use of IOT in Healthcare," International Journal of Computer Applications, vol. 175, no. 24, pp. 9–15, Oct. 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5120/ijca2020920768
A. Barnawi, "An Advanced Search and Find System (ASAFS) on IoT-Based Mobile Autonomous Unmanned Vehicle Testbed (MAUVET)," Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering, vol. 45, no. 4, pp. 3273–3287, Apr. 2020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-020-04364-2
A. Rehman, T. Saba, K. Haseeb, S. Larabi Marie-Sainte, and J. Lloret, "Energy-Efficient IoT e-Health Using Artificial Intelligence Model with Homomorphic Secret Sharing," Energies, vol. 14, no. 19, Jan. 2021, Art. no. 6414. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/en14196414
N. Valchkova, R. Zahariev, C. Totomirova, G. Angelov, Y. Paunski, and V. Cvetkov, "Approach to Designing a Mobile Service Collaborative Robot for Healthcare and Disadvantaged People," in 2023 3rd International Conference on Electrical, Computer, Communications and Mechatronics Engineering (ICECCME), Tenerife, Spain, Jul. 2023, pp. 1–6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ICECCME57830.2023.10252774
Y. Cao, K. Ni, T. Kawaguchi, and S. Hashimoto, "Path Following for Autonomous Mobile Robots with Deep Reinforcement Learning," Sensors, vol. 24, no. 2, Jan. 2024, Art. no. 561. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/s24020561
T. Saba, A. Rehman, K. Haseeb, S. A. Bahaj, and G. Jeon, "Energy-Efficient Edge Optimization Embedded System Using Graph Theory with 2-Tiered Security," Electronics, vol. 11, no. 18, Sep. 2022, Art. no. 2942. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics11182942
J. Liu, "Multi agent systems: Studying coordination and cooperation mechanisms in multi-agent systems to achieve collective goals efficiently," Journal of Artificial Intelligence Research, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 30–43, 2024.
J. Gielis, A. Shankar, and A. Prorok, "A Critical Review of Communications in Multi-robot Systems," Current Robotics Reports, vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 213–225, Aug. 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43154-022-00090-9
T. N. Pham and D. T. Mai, "A Mobile Robot Design for Home Security Systems," Engineering, Technology & Applied Science Research, vol. 14, no. 4, pp. 14882–14887, Aug. 2024. DOI: https://doi.org/10.48084/etasr.7336
Downloads
How to Cite
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Hayet Tlijani, Hani Nasri, Khaled Nouri

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain the copyright and grant the journal the right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) after its publication in ETASR with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
