Safe Human-Drone Interaction in Construction: Using Gesture Communication Modality
Zixian Zhu, Jiun-Yao Cheng, Idris Jeelani, Masoud Gheisari · 2024
The use of drones for construction applications is on the rise, but it also brings about new safety challenges for human workers in an already hazardous environment. To address these safety challenges, one potential solution is to allow workers to actively communicate with drones rather than passively observing them. To explore this idea, a series of gesture-based safety commands were developed. This would enable workers to communicate their safety needs to drones while working in close proximity. A pilot study was conducted with a small group of users to evaluate the feasibility of using gesture communication modality for safe human-drone interaction in a virtual construction scenario. User feedback was also gathered, providing valuable insights for future studies and improvements. The results of the study show that gesture-based communication has great potential for ensuring safety during human-drone interaction in construction environments.