RoboSite: An Educational Virtual Site Visit Featuring the Safe Integration of Four-Legged Robots in Construction

Abstract

The rise of robot use in the construction industry underscores the need to prepare the next generation of construction professionals for this technological shift. While knowledge about these robots is vital, understanding their operational mechanisms and the safety challenges they pose on construction sites is equally essential. However, implementing an effective robot-related curriculum in construction education is hindered by logistical and financial obstacles of bringing physical robots to classrooms. While traditional lecture-based instruction or videos may offer some assistance, their limited interactive capabilities severely constrain the extent to which students can be effectively trained in working with robots on real job sites. This research introduces RoboSite—a virtual site visit interface utilizing the immersive power of virtual reality, aiming to provide a safe and cost-effective learning platform. In this project, RoboSite was designed to facilitate trust and positive perceptions regarding four-legged robots while concurrently enhancing students’ understanding of the applications, safety challenges, and preventive measures associated with such technologies in construction. The effectiveness of RoboSite was evaluated using repeated-measure experiment design and the results indicate that RoboSite offers a promising avenue to effectively enrich students’ understanding and reduce their negative perceptions about diverse and unfamiliar scenarios.