Nana Kwabena Asamoah Antwi, Gilles Albeaino, Chukwuma Nnaji
The findings showed that construction HRC research examines human responses across cognitive, affective, physical, and perceived acceptance and usability dimensions. These human-state outcomes are shaped by contextual and interaction parameters that define how robots are configured, introduced, and operated within construction environments. At the same time, assessment approaches for these responses were found to vary considerably, encompassing both self-report instruments and objective measurement techniques.
INTRODUCTION: Robotic systems are increasingly being introduced into construction to address persistent safety challenges, limited productivity growth, and skilled labor shortages. However, the collaboration between humans and robots introduces new interaction dynamics that can reshape human behavioral state and responses. While prior reviews have examined construction robotics from technological, application, and adoption perspectives, a construction-specific synthesis that systematically consolidates human factors across Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC) contexts remains limited.
METHOD: This systematic review addresses that gap by identifying and categorizing the human factors examined in construction HRC research, synthesizing the subjective and objective measurement approaches used to assess these factors, and extracting recurring methodological and contextual limitations to inform a structured research roadmap for safe, scalable, and human-centered HRC deployment. Following PRISMA guidelines, Scopus and Web of Science were queried for records published between 2000 and 2026, resulting in 163 included studies after screening and eligibility assessment.
RESULTS: The findings showed that construction HRC research examines human responses across cognitive, affective, physical, and perceived acceptance and usability dimensions. These human-state outcomes are shaped by contextual and interaction parameters that define how robots are configured, introduced, and operated within construction environments. At the same time, assessment approaches for these responses were found to vary considerably, encompassing both self-report instruments and objective measurement techniques.
CONCLUSIONS AND PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: By consolidating dispersed empirical evidence into a coherent construction-focused synthesis and proposing a structured roadmap centered on human-focused responses, contextual scalability, and safety-system integration, this review provides actionable guidance for advancing deployment-ready, human-centered robotic interactions on active construction jobsites.