WIP: Industry and Academia Perception of Competencies for Human-Robot Collaboration in the Construction Industry

This research category work-in-progress paper presents industry and academic perceptions of competencies for human-robot collaboration in the construction industry. Perceptions of competencies by industry professionals and academic experts vary significantly. Industry professionals prioritize competencies like technical skills and hands-on experience that directly enhance productivity and profitability. In contrast, academic experts prioritize scientific and theoretical understanding and intellectual development to promote innovation through research and education. Identifying the perceptional differences and consensus is crucial for successfully integrating robotics in the construction industry and developing training programs to prepare the current and future workforce. This study investigates the perceptions of industry professionals and academic experts regarding competencies for human-robot collaboration in construction to identify areas of agreement and divergence. A three-round Delphi survey was conducted to collect industry professionals' and academic experts' perceptions concerning the competencies for human-robot collaboration in construction. Cronbach's alpha was used to assess the reliability and internal consistency of the data collected, while the standard deviation and interquartile range were used to measure the consensus of the expert's opinion on competency for human-robot collaboration in construction. Thirteen industry practitioners and fourteen academic experts participated in the survey. Results of the Delphi survey reveal areas of consensus in the perceptions of industry and academia concerning some competencies for human-robot collaboration, which include human-robot interface ranked as the most significant HRC knowledge, safety management, technical skills, regulation standards and compliance, data analytics and management, and application of machine learning algorithms skills ranked equally in different positions, and safety awareness ranked as the most important ability for HRC. There are differences in the perceptions of both panels of experts concerning the remaining competencies for human-robot collaboration. This study underscores the perspective of industry professionals and academic experts on the competencies crucial for facilitating safe and effective collaboration with robots in the construction industry.