skip to main content
US FlagAn official website of the United States government
dot gov icon
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
https lock icon
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Explore Research Products in the PAR
It may take a few hours for recently added research products to appear in PAR search results.


  • NSF Public Access
  • Search Results
  • Utilizing Text Analysis in Systematic Review Design: Perceptual and Cognitive Barriers to Adoption of Robotic and Automated Systems in Construction
Title: Utilizing Text Analysis in Systematic Review Design: Perceptual and Cognitive Barriers to Adoption of Robotic and Automated Systems in Construction
Construction, the last major analog and craft manufacturing industry, is showing early signs of industrialization through the emergence of new robotic and automated systems that can perform construction tasks in situ. While much is understood about the technical and economic challenges to be overcome for widespread adoption of robotics, less is known about the human barriers to adoption, and much less is summarized. Considering the amount of human cooperation required by existing robotic applications, a comprehensive review of barriers that are cognitive or perceptual in nature using a systematic literature assessment methodology is warranted. However, such a review is not straightforward to design. While matters of cognition and perception as pertinent to construction and automation may be queried directly from the literature, there is no certainty that a review based on directly querying abstract phenomena (i.e., perception) could be comprehensive. Thus, systematically reviewing this topic calls for a robust methodology for the design of database queries. In this paper, we perform text analysis with the quanteda package for R in order to (1) understand the language composition of an initial review corpus, and (2) with that understanding design further queries to capture additional articles otherwise not possible through standard query design. Findings indicate that performing text analysis on a systematic review design can produce valuable insight into a review corpus and inform queries that capture additional unique literature relevant to the review.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1928415
PAR ID:
10357463
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ;
Editor(s):
Jazizadeh, Farrokh; Shealy, Tripp; and Garvin, Michael J.
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Construction Research Congress 2022: Computer Applications, Automation, and Data Analytics
Page Range / eLocation ID:
718 to 726
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. ; ; ; (, Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management)
    null (Ed.)
    Purpose The purpose is two-fold: (1) to explore the interactions of robotic systems and lean construction in the context of offsite construction (OC) that were addressed in the literature published between 2008 and 2019 and (2) to identify the gaps in such interactions while discussing how addressing those gaps can benefit not only OC but the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry as a whole. Design/methodology/approach First, a systematic literature review (SLR) identified journal papers addressing the interactions of automation and lean in OC. Then, the researchers focused the analysis on the under-researched subtopic of robotic systems. The focused analysis includes discussing the interactions identified in the SLR through a matrix of interactions and utilizing literature beyond the previously identified articles for future research directions on robotic systems and lean construction in OC. Findings The study found 35 journal papers that addressed automation and lean in the context of OC. Most of the identified literature focused on interactions of BIM and lean construction, while only nine focused on the interactions of robotic systems and lean construction. Identified literature related to robotic systems mainly addressed robots and automated equipment. Additional interactions were identified in the realm of wearable devices, unmanned aerial vehicles/automated guided vehicles and digital fabrication/computer numerical control (CNC) machines. Originality/value This is one of the first studies dedicated to exploring the interactions of robotic systems and lean construction in OC. Also, it proposes a categorization for construction automation and a matrix of interactions between construction automation and lean construction. 
    more » « less
  2. ; ; ; (, IJEE International Journal of Engineering Education)
    Problem-based learning (PBL) is recognized as a pedagogical approach that is well-suited to preparing engineering students for the realities of the profession, but there are persistent implementation challenges that serve as barriers to broad adoption. This systematic literature review focuses on three facets of PBL – design, facilitation, and assessment – in search of operational guidelines for engineering faculty considering a transition to PBL. Findings led to two broad conclusions. First, there is a need for research on methods to support engineering faculty in problem design. Second, while current research provides thorough support for PBL facilitation and suggestions for assessment, there is a need for additional research to evaluate the efficacy of the various models of facilitation and assessment suggested by the literature. 
    more » « less
  3. ; ; ; ; (, Computing in Civil Engineering 2023)
    Powered exoskeletons have the potential to reduce the physical demands on construction workers and enhance their abilities, yet adoption of this technology has been limited in the US construction sector. To that end, this study aimed to identify the barriers to the adoption of powered exoskeletons in the US construction industry. Firstly, a literature review was conducted to identify commercially available powered exoskeletons suitable for construction. Concurrently,questionnaires were developed and distributed among construction practitioners to understand the challenges associated with the implementation of powered exoskeletons in the US construction industry. The results showed that concerns about usability and productivity gains were the main barriers to the adoption of exoskeletons in the construction sector. The findings of this study provide valuable insights for improving the adoption and implementation of powered exoskeletons in the US construction industry, which could enhance worker safety and productivity. 
    more » « less
  4. ; ; ; (, ASCE Construction Research Congress)
    In the past, the construction industry has been slow to adopt new technology. There has been a rapid expansion of technologies, often referred to as Industry 4.0, to aid in the use of automation. One challenge paralleling these new technologies is implementing how a robot interprets design information, specifically information from a Building Information Model (BIM). This paper presents a method for identifying and transforming information from BIM to support robotic material placement on the construction site. This research will include a review of what information can be directly extracted from the model and what must be supplemented to the model for the robot to perform defined tasks within a construction site. The construction sites’ dynamic nature poses multiple challenges that must be addressed for the information extracted from a model to be used by a robot in daily construction operations. This research also identifies barriers and limitations based upon current practice, such as different levels of development or model content as well as needed precision within the information provided for a mobile robot to complete a defined task. 
    more » « less
  5. ; (, Construction Innovation)
    Purpose The architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry exists in a dynamic environment and requires several stakeholders to communicate regularly. However, evidence indicates current communication practices fail to meet the requirements of increasingly complex projects. With the advent of Industry 4.0, a trend is noted to create a digital communication environment between stakeholders. Identified as a central technology in Industry 4.0, virtual reality (VR) has the potential to supplement current communication and facilitate the digitization of the AEC industry. This paper aims to explore how VR has been applied and future research directions for communication purpose. Design/methodology/approach This research follows a systematic literature assessment methodology to summarize the results of 41 research articles in the last 15 years and outlines the applications of VR in facilitating communication in the AEC domain. Findings Relevant VR applications are mainly found in building inspection, facility management, safety training, construction education and design and review. Communication tools and affordance are provided or built in several forms: text-based tools, voice chat tool, visual sharing affordance and avatars. Objective and subjective communication assessments are observed from those publications. Originality/value This review contributes to identifying the recent employment areas and future research directions of VR to facilitate communication in the AEC domain. The outcome can be a practical resource to guide both industry professionals and researchers to recognize the potentials of VR and will ultimately facilitate the creation of digital construction environments. 
    more » « less
  • Citation Formats
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago
  • BibTeX
  • Save / Share this Record
  • Send to Email