A Virtual Site Visit on Four-Legged Robot Applications in Construction

Abstract

With the increasing deployment of robots in the construction industry, it is crucial for future professionals to not only be familiar with these robots but also understand their applications and associated safety challenges. However, the logistics and financial issues in bringing these robots to classes pose a challenge in including an effective robot-related curriculum in construction education. This study developed a virtual site visit that integrates virtual reality (VR) technology and immersive storytelling to expose students to a robot-dominant construction site. The virtual site visit enabled users to navigate a robot-dominant construction site and learn about four-legged robots, their applications, safety challenges, and countermeasures for working safely with robots. The results of the study demonstrate that virtual site visit offers unique opportunities for enhancing construction students’ conceptual understanding of robots in diverse and unfamiliar scenarios without exposing them to undue risks or incurring substantial costs.