Can Virtual Reality and AI Help Construction Workers Avoid Accidents?

A Texas A&M University researcher is investigating how virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and artificial intelligence (AI) can improve construction worker safety by addressing reduced attention to hazards caused by repeated exposure. Research using VR simulations, eye-tracking, brain activity monitoring, and field observations found that immersive training can increase workers’ attention to hazards and vigilance around live traffic in highway work zones. The research team is also developing an AI-powered AR system that can identify hazards in a worker’s actual environment and generate site-specific safety scenarios. The work suggests that immersive and AI-assisted training could help workers recognize and respond to roadway and construction hazards before accidents occur.