Soft floating robots (SFRs) shift from rigid machines to gravity‑defying, compliant companions for indoor spaces. Yet development remains fragmented, lacking a coherent design vocabulary. Designers struggle to exploit SFRs’ unique affordances, and prototypes stay novelty‑only. Humor an integrated approach.

This paper proposes a design space for SFR interaction, based on an exploratory study with 12 experts from HCI, Design, and Robotics. Ten design dimensions span physical, interactive, and behavioral properties, and a range of application scenarios, from emotional support to remote pet play.

Proof‑of‑concept examples illustrate how the framework enables diverse interactions: a fish‑like SFR offers calming touch; a balloon‑shaped SFR provides on‑demand assistance; a jellyfish‑inspired SFR guides breathing; an omnidirectional SFR supports remote pet engagement; a cloud‑like SFR delivers reminders.

By grounding possibilities in a Physics‑Design Dependency Framework, the study yields actionable principles for engineers and designers, moving beyond isolated prototypes to a unified, structured approach that supports the integration of SFRs into everyday indoor life.