FW-HTF-P: Interactive Multi-Human Multi-Remote-Robot Operations for the Future of Construction Work

人类技术前沿未来工作（FW-HTF-P）项目的总体目标是为多个人类工人创建一个协作框架，以便与各种类型的多个远程建筑机器人进行协作。这些人类-机器人团队有潜力提高运营效率和可扩展性，从而预测挑战建筑行业未来的迫在眉睫的问题，包括熟练劳动力短缺，劳动力老龄化，职业安全挑战和生产力停滞。然而，实现最佳结果将需要在受限和复杂的施工工作场所中进行人机协作操作的新方法。鉴于建筑业的关键经济和社会作用，对国家的潜在利益是显著的。该项目开发奖下的活动将包括开发一个概念验证工作者在环接口，以支持在不同工作环境和操作场景的建筑工地与行业合作伙伴进行初步研究。初步研究将得到讲习班、重点小组、培训班和调查的支持。该项目的预期成果包括提高工作效率、总体工作生产率、工人安全和福祉，以及招聘和吸纳包括老年工人在内的多样化劳动力。最终，该项目将为建筑工程、人工智能、机器人、学习科学、劳动力培训以及建筑、工程、建筑、人类和社会科学等领域带来潜在的利益。该奖项将建立一个由学术研究人员和行业利益相关者组成的跨学科团队，深入了解多人多远程机器人（MHMRR）协作的适用性和潜力，通过透明和可靠的现场知识转移，Avatar Construction Workers能够与远程异构建筑机器人进行协作，从而实现创新和交互式MHMRR协作框架的目标。为实现这一目标，将开展两项项目开发活动。首先，研究团队将建立一个工人在环MHMRR接口的原型，该接口可重新配置为各种施工操作和不同的新技术和新兴技术的集成。第二，研究团队将利用与建筑和技术行业相关利益相关者的伙伴关系，在具有代表性的现实条件下设计和进行MHMRR合作的初步研究。将通过多种活动，包括讲习班、重点小组、培训班和调查，完成实验设计和招募更多合作伙伴。该奖项支持的项目开发活动将导致组建一个综合团队，包括学术研究人员，参与的行业合作伙伴，专业的研究基础设施，支持初步成果的基础，以及为推进建筑MHMRR关键领域而量身定制的研究议程。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The overarching goal of this Future of Work at the Human Technology Frontier (FW-HTF-P) project is to create a collaboration framework for multiple human workers to team with multiple remote construction robots of various types. These human-robot teams have the potential to improve operational efficiency and scalability and thus anticipate imminent problems challenging the future of the construction industry, including a shortage of skilled labor, an aging workforce, occupational safety challenges, and stagnant productivity. However, realizing the best outcomes will require new approaches for human-robot collaborative operations in constrained and complex construction workplaces. Potential benefits to the nation are significant, given the critical economic and societal roles of the construction industry. Activities under this Project Development award will include development of a proof-of-concept worker-in-the-loop interface to support preliminary studies with industry partners at construction sites with varying work environments and operation scenarios. The preliminary studies will be supported by workshops, focus groups, training sessions, and surveys. Expected outcomes of the project include improvements to work efficiency, overall work productivity, worker safety and well-being, and recruitment and inclusion of a diverse workforce, including older workers. Ultimately the project has potential benefits for the fields of construction engineering, artificial intelligence, robotics, learning sciences, and workforce training, as well as architecture, engineering, construction, and human and social science.This award will build an interdisciplinary team of academic researchers and industry stakeholders with a deep understanding of the applicability and potential of multi-human-multi-remote-robot (MHMRR) collaboration, toward the goal of an innovative and interactive MHMRR collaboration framework with Avatar Construction Workers able to collaborate with remote heterogeneous construction robots through transparent and reliable on-site knowledge transfer. Two project development activities will be conducted to achieve this goal. First, the research team will build a prototype of a worker-in-the-loop MHMRR interface that is reconfigurable for various construction operations and integration of different new and emerging technologies. Second, the research team will draw upon partnerships with relevant stakeholders in both the construction and technology industries to design and conduct preliminary studies of MHMRR collaborations under a representative selection of realistic conditions. Experimental design and recruitment of additional partners will be accomplished through multiple activities, including workshops, focus groups, training sessions, and surveys. The Project Development activities supported by this award will result in the formation of an integrated team including academic researchers, engaged industry partners, specialized research infrastructure, a foundation of supporting preliminary results, and a research agenda tailored to advancing the critical field of MHMRR for construction. The outcome has the potential to revolutionize existing construction industries and to provide convergent solutions for technical and workforce bottlenecks.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.