Welcome to the second episode of the ‘DISCOVER THE HUMANTECH WORK’ blogs, a series where we dive into the HumanTech work packages (WPs) with our WP Leaders!

Let’s discover WP6, Human Factors – Training, Usability and Assessment, presented by Gloria Callinan, Project Support Officer at the Technological University of the Shannon, Development Unit Thurles.

This WP is composed of four tasks led by a team of incredible experts:

  • T6.1 Micro-learning units development and coordination – led by TUS
  • T6.2 Subjective and objective assessment of worker’s technology acceptance – led by TECNALIA
  • T6.3 Workflow capturing and extended reality (XR) training – led by DFKI and
  • T6.4 Wearables safety, gender and ethics considerations – led by BAUA

Let’s dive into the work behind this WP, its impact, its liaisons with the other WPs and what is next.

The importance of WP6 – what has been done in this WP.

The construction sector is among the least digitalised and thus offers significant potential to improve the efficiency of construction processes and building operations and enhance health and safety on construction sites. The digital transformation in the construction sector will require workforce upskilling and reskilling.

Training and assessments will focus on the following thematic areas:

  • Technologies supporting workers’ safety and well-being in future digital construction
  • Human-robot collaboration in construction automation

Work Package 6 is the meeting of technology and human factors in construction through the HumanTech project. In response to this challenge, WP6 has carried out two main activities supported by all WP 6 task leaders and WP project partners.

1. Creation of new training materials for use by training centres to be delivered to craft trades and apprentices and to higher education institutes to upskill construction professionals. Chambers and registered bodies can also access the freely available materials for continuous professional development. 3 modules have already been developed on HumanTech training material: HumanTech and Digitalisation (module 1), Green Technology in Construction (Module 2), and BIM Fundamentals Module 3, and are available on Zenodo.

Another 9 modules are under development with support from the HumanTech pilots covering 360-degree Cameras and mounting on Robotics and Drones, Robotics in Construction, UAV and UGV and construction, Digital twins, Exosketons, Building Smart Data Dictionaries and others.

2. Subjective and objective assessment of worker’s technology acceptance. The use of advanced technology such as exoskeletons, smart glasses and wearable sensors can have a huge impact on the behaviour of the worker. Similarly, the use of robots on construction sites with human interaction is a major challenge. Although technologies are designed to support workers, they can have the opposite effect in the work environment, especially when different technologies are combined. Workers may feel monitored, restricted in their movements or stressed by an information overload. In the context of a good work environment, special consideration should be given to the needs of workers.

Led by partners Tecnalia and BAUA, workers and apprentices participated in a focus group moderated by a HumanTech partner in Spain and Ireland. Technologies were presented and outlined in a face-to-face environment, and surveys were then completed on workers’ perspectives.

One online workshop was held with French female construction workers moderated by the European Builders Confederation. Workshop participants were assured that data from these objective measures were anonymised and would be used only to evaluate the technological solutions, not any given worker’s performance.

Participants were recruited by Acciona at Alicante and Zubieta, in Spain, among the stakeholders working on the construction site (workers and supervisors). A total of 22 participants took part in this first physical workshop, organised in Acciona premises. Another 27 participants took part in the second physical workshop, organised in the Acciona offices at another construction site. The Irish workshop took place in Limerick, Ireland, and was delivered by TUS to apprentice electricians and carpenters at the Raheen Training Centre campus of the Limerick Clare Education and Training Board. It was attended by 26 construction apprentice participants and 4 tutors.

The broad results indicate higher reluctance towards interactive robots than exoskeletons and XR glasses, mainly due to perceived low manoeuvrability, physical rigidity and sedateness. The results are available in report format D6.3 – HT Worker Assessment Report.

In HumanTech, we are not working in a silo – let’s discover how this WP is linked to the others.

WP6 is highly dependent on progress in other work packages, the evolution of technology such as exoskeletons, smart glasses, and wearable sensors, and the progress of the pilots, the work of which will be used for the final assessment due in 2025. Subjective assessment of the human factor-related aspects was performed using scientifically validated questionnaires for lab and field research. Objective evaluation is due later in the project and is an objective perspective of user acceptance that will be assessed by means of measurement of users psychophysiological signals such as EEG (electroencephalogram), GSR (Galvanic Skin Response) and BVP (Blood Volume Pulse). For example, WP1 user requirements and architectural definitions are relevant and fundamental for human factors in both training and assessment. The BIMxD platform of WP2, hyperspectral material scanning of WP3, body sensor network of WP4, demolition task planning in WP5 and mobile platform, along with the pilot of WP7, are all relevant and significant to WP6. Finally, a communications foundation from WP8 is vital for the dissemination of the WP6 training materials.

The feedback from workers and apprentices will help inform the work of the technology partners, and the provision of training from the HumanTech project will mean greater exploitation and sustainability of the HumanTech approach.

The impact and the benefits of WP6.

Two aspects of our work are likely to have the most impact.

  1. The delivery of 12 bespoke micro-learning units, which are the culmination of HumanTech’s work and unique to HumanTech results, will upskill a range of construction sector actors across VET, higher education, and Continuous Professional Development. The target is upskilling 200 trainees and 20 tutors.
  2. Worker assessment will have a significant impact on workers’ attitudes toward technology. Open questions for each technology included, for instance, the participant’s belief on how their working task will change under the use of the technology, expected benefits and problems (each in the short- and long-term), as well as the most important resources needed for a successful implementation. Participants stated that they see positive effects on the reduction of physical strain, musculoskeletal injuries, and disorders. For XR glasses, participants named the specific benefits of worker training, learning, and skill development. Furthermore, they see benefits in the specific application of XR glasses for prototyping as well as in the design and planning phase, also through visualisation of future on-site activities.

WHAT IS NEXT

The two main (although there are many more) activities planned for WP6 are the completion of the remaining 9 micro-learning units as modules to be delivered by training centres and higher education institutes. 200 participants will benefit as pilots from the HumanTech training, and 20 educators will be upskilled in delivery. In addition, the final assessment using technology developed in HumanTech will be tested on workers again in Spain and apprentices in Ireland.

Planning for the next assessments includes:

  • Organisation of additional workshops in other countries to go deeper into the subjective analysis (and thus complement what has been done in T6.2).
  • Performance of an objective assessment by evaluating physiological sensor data collected in dedicated training sessions. To do so, the technological developments of HumanTech wearables and interactive and collaborative robot systems developed in WP4 and WP5 will have to be mature enough to be tested in pilots in WP7.

Take a look at our progress on WP4, wearable technologies for construction, led by Bruno Walter Mirbach, Senior Researcher at the Department of Augmented Vision at DFKI, and stay tuned to our news, social media (LinkedIn and Twitter), and to stay up to date!