Exploring psychophysiological methods for human-robot collaboration in construction

TL;DR

The paper tackles the challenge of integrating psychophysiological methods into human-robot collaboration (HRC) for construction by conducting a structured literature review guided by a concept–methodology–value framework. EEG and multi-modal biosignals emerge as the dominant approaches, revealing changes in cognitive load, trust, and emotional state as robot collaboration factors vary (e.g., speed, proximity, autonomy). While findings point to potential benefits for safety, real-time adaptation, and training, most studies remain at proof-of-concept with limited generalizability due to small samples and laboratory/VR settings. The work identifies three future directions—multi-modal signal integration, richer experimental settings for generalizability, and advanced biocompatible or contactless sensing—to enable robust, real-world HRC deployment in construction.

Abstract

Psychophysiological methods present a promising approach to fostering enhanced mutual communication and collaboration between human workers and robots. Despite their potential, there is still limited understanding of how to effectively integrate psychophysiological methods to improve human-robot collaboration (HRC) in construction. This paper addresses this gap by critically reviewing the use of psychophysiological methods for HRC within construction environments, employing a concept-methodology-value philosophical framework. The analysis reveals that measuring brain activity using electroencephalography is the most widely used method, while most of the works are still at the proof of concept stage and lack empirical evidence. Three potential research directions were proposed: the integration of multi-modal psychophysiological signals, enriching the existing experimental settings for better generalizability, and leveraging advanced biocompatible or contactless technologies for effective signal detection. The findings should benefit subsequent exploration and practical applications of psychophysiological methods to enable better implementation of robots and support HRC in construction.

Figures (8)

• Figure 1: The process and results for paper collection and screening
• Figure 2: A schematic diagram of using psychophysiological methods for HRC (left) and the overall structure of this paper (right).
• Figure 3: Examples of robot types
• Figure 4: Data collection phases
• Figure 5: The distribution of the sensing device