Implementations of the disclosed subject matter provide a method of transmitting, from a mobile robot device, sound and/or at least one image captured by a sensor to a remote user device. The mobile robot device may receive at least one first control operation for the mobile robot device to move within an area via a communications network from a remote user device. An audio signal may be transmitted based on sound received at a microphone of the mobile robot device in the area. The audio signal received from the remote user device may be output at a speaker of the mobile robot device. A volume of the audio signal output by the speaker may be adjusted based on a size of the area and on an average or a median of an amplitude of frequencies in the area based on the sound received by the microphone.