Funded Projects in This Area
Active sponsored research in this area.
Future of Construction
FAIR4WISE: Future AI and Robotics for Women in Smart Engineering
Overview
The FAIR4WISE project develops a new robot teleoperation method based on deep learning and blockchain certification to augment construction workers' capability and promote diversity, equity, and inclusiveness in the workplace. As construction jobs become automated and teleoperated with robots, this transition can enable safe, remote work away from hazardous sites — reducing barriers for women, who represent less than 10% of the construction workforce. The project investigates gender differences in collaborating with and teleoperating robots, and uses those insights to build learning and teleoperation methods that are accessible and equitable across genders.
Research Goals
- Develop an inclusive robot teleoperation interface adaptive to gender-related diversity and experience
- Design a federated learning mechanism to mitigate AI bias using data from underrepresented workers
- Create a blockchain-based platform certifying worker skill competence and performance for fair hiring
- Measure the impacts of these technologies on future construction work, job design, and worker self-efficacy
- Build an education and workforce training platform integrating adult learning and AI/robot technologies
Impact
If successful, the technology ecosystem will improve worker productivity, safety, and health while opening new and equal work opportunities for women and other underrepresented workers — breaking down barriers as the industry transitions to the era of robots and AI. The work brings together an interdisciplinary team spanning engineering, computer and information science, human factors, industrial-organizational psychology, education, and legal affairs.