Exploring Worker-Drone Interaction in Mixed Reality: Balancing Distraction and Situational Awareness

This IEEE conference talk examines how mixed-reality (MR) technology can be used to study worker attention patterns during drone interactions in construction environments. Learn about a research study that developed a futuristic bricklaying MR environment to capture participants' naturalistic behaviors including attention allocation, productivity metrics, and distraction levels across varying interaction scenarios (no interaction, coexistence, and collaboration). The presentation by researchers from Purdue University and George Mason University highlights the potential of immersive technology for investigating human-robot teamwork dynamics in future construction settings where workers and drones must function collaboratively. The findings provide valuable insights into balancing distraction and situational awareness in human-drone workplace interactions.