| NSF Org: |
SES Division of Social and Economic Sciences |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | August 25, 2021 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | August 25, 2021 |
| Award Number: | 2128415 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Songqi Liu
soliu@nsf.gov (703)292-8950 SES Division of Social and Economic Sciences SBE Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences |
| Start Date: | January 1, 2022 |
| End Date: | December 31, 2024 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $210,000.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $210,000.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
1523 UNION RD RM 207 GAINESVILLE FL US 32611-1941 (352)392-3516 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
Department of Civil and Coastal Gainesville FL US 32611-6580 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | FW-HTF Futr Wrk Hum-Tech Frntr |
| Primary Program Source: |
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| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.075 |
ABSTRACT
Construction is a $10 trillion industry that employs about 180 million workers worldwide. However, the future of construction work is at crossroads. First, productivity in construction work has been stagnant relative to other industries (e.g., manufacturing), and the industry has historically been slow to adopt innovations that affect efficiency. Second, it has been difficult to offset the aging and retiring workforce with younger and more diverse workers, causing the workforce supply to fall short of rising demand. This is mainly because construction work tends to be physically strenuous leading to occupational hazards that often force workers to retire early. Robotization has been suggested as a potential solution to these problems. However, the unstructured nature of construction work presents several technical, social and economic impediments that hinder the direct adoption and integration of such innovations by the construction industry. For construction workers, robotic technology can only be transformative if it allows them to channel their passion for the work while avoiding the chronic pain and health outcomes associated with its physical demands.
This project investigates if construction work can be conceived as a human-robot partnership, where human workers play the critical role of planning the work, and training and supervising robotic assistants to adapt to presented workspace conditions and perform useful work. The project team is integrating advances in interactive task learning, mixed reality, and reinforcement learning to enable construction workers to naturally collaborate with robot assistants through direct physical interaction and virtual supervision and training. For such a symbiotic human-robot partnership to benefit construction workers and result in widespread deployment, workers need to be equipped with new skills. The project team is exploring new educational and professional development programs to support worker aspirations for upskilling and lifelong learning, and to open avenues for people of diverse abilities to be productive members of the construction workforce. Tight-knit partnerships with industry collaborators will inform the project activities and provide access to construction work sites and training facilities for testing and evaluation.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Overview
This project explored the integration of robots into the construction industry. It examined how this shift impacts operational practices and the workforce. Specifically, the University of Florida (UF) team focused on preparing construction personnel for the widespread use of robotic technologies, assessing the perceived challenges and benefits, and understanding workers' perceptions regarding introducing robots in construction. The research addressed workforce readiness, identified necessary interaction skills, and investigated how robots are perceived to change construction work while maintaining fundamental human values in the industry.
Intellectual Merit
The project advanced knowledge in future construction work by investigating strategies to promote adoption, trust, and collaboration in human-robot teams. It provided valuable insights into how integrating collaborative robots (cobots) could reshape practices within the construction industry. The findings revealed that while robot integration can optimize productivity, enhance safety, and create new opportunities for career advancement, it raises concerns about job stability, workers' sense of belonging, and the impact on the collaborative nature of construction work.
Our analysis underscored the need for workers to develop new skills to interact effectively with robots, transitioning construction workers to roles of robot collaborators. This research contributes to understanding the barriers to introducing human-robot teams in construction and explores the fundamental digital transformation the industry will undergo. By redefining the profile of construction workers as technology-enabled individuals equipped for upskilling, the project advances knowledge in future workforce development.
Broader Impacts
The project had several broader impacts:
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Workforce Preparation: The research emphasized the importance of preparing the construction workforce for a future where robots are integral to work processes. By addressing workers' concerns and fostering a positive perception of robots, the project helped reduce resistance to technological advancements, paving the way for more inclusive, safe, and productive construction environments.
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Educational Materials and Workshop: We developed a workshop to showcase the future construction workplace to stakeholders, including tradespeople and low- to mid-level managers. This workshop allowed construction personnel to experience firsthand interactions with robots, offering a glimpse into how robot applications could enhance future construction work. The workshop's success was reflected in the positive feedback from attendees, who expressed appreciation for this early exposure to robotics in the industry. Although many attendees emphasized the need for more such experiences, they valued this initial introduction as a critical step toward embracing technological advancements in construction.
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Mentored Research Experiences: The project offered an opportunity to enhance graduate students' skills through multidisciplinary collaborations. The experiences from the project provide vital experiences enhancing their professional formation. The graduate students developed expertise in data collection, analysis, writing, and dissemination through conference paper publications, presentations, and manuscript submissions. Additionally, interpersonal skills such as cross-discipline collaboration and others were propagated through this project.
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Social Impact: The project contributed to a broader comprehension of how robots can coexist with human workers in traditionally manual industries. The research addressed fundamental questions about the work's future and the construction domain's digital transformation by exploring strategies to promote adoption, trust, and collaboration in human-robot teams.
Publications and Dissemination
The results of this project were disseminated through a peer-reviewed conference papers that have been achived in the NSF system. The findings were shared with a diverse audience of educators, researchers, and industry professionals, contributing to broader discussions about the future of construction work.
Last Modified: 02/27/2025
Modified by: Denise R Simmons
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