Can robots and construction crews work together safely?

West Lafayette, IN — In an effort to enhance worker safety and health, a group of Purdue University researchers is set to explore collaboration between construction workers and robots.

According to a Feb. 17 university press release, the five researchers – funded by a $150,000 grant from the National Science Foundation – will attempt to generate a “collaboration framework for multiple human workers to team with multiple construction robots of various types.”

The researchers also aim to improve efficiency, productivity, recruitment and “inclusion of a diverse workforce, including older workers.”

The release adds: “The outcome has the potential to revolutionize existing construction industries and to provide convergent solutions for technical and workforce bottlenecks.”