There’s some pretty exciting news about the future of training in the construction industry, with the news of the National Science Foundation awarding a grant to Florida International University (FIU) for a project called “Intelligent Immersive Environments for Learning Robotics.” The FIU project aims to develop virtual reality games to better train workers on robotic construction techniques. But the growth of virtual and augmented reality training could spread across the construction industry. And for an industry plagued with labour shortages, an uptick in tragic onsite accidents, and outdated training videos, this could dramatically transform how workers build buildings.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has a long history of funding research projects. The NSF was established in 1950 as an independent agency of the U.S. government to promote science’s progress, advance national health, prosperity, and welfare, and secure the national defence. Since then, it has been a major funding source for research and education across a broad range of scientific and engineering disciplines. Currently, the NSF seems to be particularly interested in funding projects that could improve safety in construction.
Workforce training is essential for ensuring workforce safety in any industry and is one of the pain points plaguing the construction industry. If VR training catches on, it could make training videos obsolete. Explainer videos have been a staple of construction worker training for many years, and even though these videos are intended to be used in conjunction with hands-on training on the work site, they leave a lot to be desired.
Another limitation of training videos is their passive nature. Workers cannot interact with the video or ask questions, limiting their engagement and reducing their ability to understand the information presented fully. This can be especially challenging for workers who learn best through hands-on experiences or require additional guidance to comprehend new concepts fully.
Researchers at FIU will use their NSF grant to develop a virtual platform to better instruct construction professionals and students on using industrial robots. The researchers plan to build this platform around the use of virtual and artificial reality-enabled games. These tools provide a more immersive and interactive learning experience, allowing workers to engage with simulated job sites and tasks realistically. Virtual reality technology, for example, can create realistic simulations of hazardous scenarios on construction sites that may be difficult or dangerous to replicate in the real world. AI-enabled games can track workers’ responses and progress, providing personalised feedback and recommendations for areas where additional training may be needed.
The vision for the FIU project, so far, paints a picture of an interface where users (construction workers) will perform a series of work-related tasks in a VR setting. But as workers complete their activities in the system, they will be prompted to explain their choices. The user will subsequently be given recommendations for particular classes based on the AI’s analysis of their responses to determine which topics they are understanding. The system will refer back to the user’s words and actions to offer the most pertinent lesson if a participant struggles with a particular training component.
