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As a proactive means of preventing struck-by accidents in construction, many studies have presented proximity monitoring applications using wireless sensors (e.g., RFID, UWB, and GPS) or computer vision methods. Most prior research has emphasized proximity detection rather than prediction. However, prediction can be more effective and important for contact-driven accident prevention, particularly given that the sooner workers (e.g., equipment operators and workers on foot) are informed of their proximity to each other, the more likely they are to avoid the impending collision. In earlier studies, the authors presented a trajectory prediction method leveraging a deep neural network to examine the feasibility of proximity prediction in real-world applications. In this study, we enhance the existing trajectory prediction accuracy. Specifically, we improve the trajectory prediction model by tuning its pre-trained weight parameters with construction data. Moreover, inherent movement-driven post-processing algorithm is developed to refine the trajectory prediction of a target in accordance with its inherent movement patterns such as the final position, predominant direction, and average velocity. In a test on real-site operations data, the proposed approach demonstrates the improvement in accuracy: for 5.28 seconds’ prediction, it achieves 0.39 meter average displacement error, improved by 51.43% as compared with the previous one (0.84 meters). The improved trajectory prediction method can support to predict potential contact-driven hazards in advance, which can allow for prompt feedback (e.g., visible, acoustic, and vibration alarms) to equipment operators and workers on foot. The proactive intervention can lead the workers to take prompt evasive action, thereby reducing the chance of an impending collision. 

Abstract There has been a strong need for simulation environments that are capable of modeling deep interdependencies between complex systems encountered during natural hazards, such as the interactions and coupled effects between civil infrastructure systems response, human behavior, and social policies, for improved community resilience. Coupling such complex components with an integrated simulation requires continuous data exchange between different simulators simulating separate models during the entire simulation process. This can be implemented by means of distributed simulation platforms or data passing tools. In order to provide a systematic reference for simulation tool choice and facilitating the development of compatible distributed simulators for deep interdependent study in the context of natural hazards, this article focuses on generic tools suitable for integration of simulators from different fields but not the platforms that are mainly used in some specific fields. With this aim, the article provides a comprehensive review of the most commonly used generic distributed simulation platforms (Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS), High Level Architecture (HLA), Test and Training Enabling Architecture (TENA), and Distributed Data Services (DDS)) and data passing tools (Robot Operation System (ROS) and Lightweight Communication and Marshalling (LCM)) and compares their advantages and disadvantages. Three specific limitations in existing platforms are identified from the perspective of natural hazard simulation. For mitigating the identified limitations, two platform design recommendations are provided, namely message exchange wrappers and hybrid communication, to help improve data passing capabilities in existing solutions and provide some guidance for the design of a new domain-specific distributed simulation framework.