Understanding Workers’ Acceptance of Robotics in Construction

Robotics is expected to enhance productivity and safety in the construction industry, but the real-world application remains limited. Introducing robotics in construction may require humans and robots to work together for the same tasks or in close proximity. While significant attention has been paid to organizational-level robot adoption, little exploration has been done from the perspective of construction workers. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the many factors that may influence workers’ attitudinal acceptance of robotics in construction. A case study including observations and interviews with 40 construction workers of a project in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area was conducted, coupled with semi-structured interviews with 13 site managers. Various factors influencing workers’ acceptance were identified, including individual differences of workers, technological performance, and output quality of robots. Additionally, external factors including organizational support and social influences can affect workers’ attitudes toward robots. The findings reveal that most workers will passively accept construction robots when their organization mandates their utilization, although changes in income remain a major concern. Strategies are recommended for future research and practice of robots for various stakeholders, such as guaranteeing workers’ income, strategizing practice-based technology, improving multi-level robot interface management, and enhancing government support. This study should encourage different stakeholders to design and adopt construction robots guided by human-centered design principles.