Psychophysiological Impacts of Working at Different Distances from Drones on Construction Sites

Abstract

There has been a large increase in the deployment of drones in construction, and it is expected that there will be more interaction between construction professionals and drones on construction sites. Working in close proximity to these flying robots raises novel occupational safety and health issues that might make the construction industry more dangerous than before. While there has been a significant amount of research about how drone technology can be used for specific construction-related tasks, further research is required to empirically evaluate the potential safety impacts of working with or near drones on the jobsite. This study employs virtual reality technology to study the health and safety challenges of construction professionals working at different distances from drones. A user-centered experimental approach was adopted, and various subjective and objective measures were used to assess the impact of working with drones at different distances on the physiological, emotional, and attentional states of construction professionals, as well as their attitudes toward drones. The results revealed that drone presence has some physiological impacts and reduces construction professionals’ attention on the tasks at hand. Moreover, the results suggested that drones operating at some distance cause more distraction than drones operating in close proximity. No evidence was found indicating that drones either cause significant psychological or emotional distress or affect construction professionals’ attitude toward them. The safety knowledge generated through this study will not only help in better understanding safe drone integration in construction but could also lead to formalizing comprehensive regulations for drone use in this industry.