An Immersive Virtual Learning Environment for Worker-Robot Collaboration on Construction Sites

This paper presents a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) that simulates the collaboration between a construction robot and a construction worker in order to support training in worker-robot teamwork on construction sites. The VLE presented in the paper utilizes a semi-autonomous remote-controlled demolition robot named Brokk. This paper describes the use-case robot (Brokk), system setup and configuration, and the learning scenarios. In this VLE, the trainee learns about the robot's various components, safety management, functions of the robot's control box, and general guidelines used during common demolition tasks. Importantly, this VLE is developed based on adult learning theories in general- and andragogy principles in particular. In addition, we augment the VLE with useful features from existing VLEs. The effectiveness of the developed VLE will be evaluated with construction workers based on knowledge and performance assessments.