Real-Time Location Tracking of Multiple Construction Laborers.

Area of Science:

• Construction Safety Engineering
• Wearable Sensor Technology
• Real-Time Location Systems

Background:

• Confined construction sites pose significant safety risks to laborers due to the difficulty in monitoring their real-time location and movement.
• Conventional real-time location systems (RTLS) relying on radio signal strength indicators (RSSIs) exhibit high error rates, limiting their effectiveness in dynamic environments.
• The need for a portable, accurate, and low-power location monitoring solution is critical for improving worker safety and operational efficiency in construction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a portable real-time location (RTL) system designed to enhance the safety of multiple laborers in confined construction environments.
• To address the limitations of conventional RSSI-based RTLS by integrating accelerometers and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) for improved accuracy and reliability.
• To evaluate the system's performance in real-world construction settings, specifically underground and bridge overlay sites.

Main Methods:

• Development of a portable RTL system incorporating an accelerometer and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) sensors, featuring a low-battery mode for extended use.
• Implementation of a novel calculation process to process sensor data for accurate location and movement tracking.
• Conducting field validation tests in diverse underground construction and bridge overlay environments to assess system performance.

Main Results:

• The integrated accelerometer and BLE sensors effectively detect and monitor the movement of laborers in real-time.
• The developed RTL system demonstrated high accuracy, with average errors of 0.2-0.22 m when the sensor was fixed.
• When the sensor was in motion, the system maintained accuracy, showing average errors ranging from 0.1 m to 0.47 m.

Conclusions:

• The portable RTL system utilizing accelerometers and BLE offers a viable and accurate solution for real-time worker location monitoring in construction.
• This technology significantly improves upon the accuracy limitations of traditional RSSI-based RTLS, enhancing safety protocols.
• The system's effectiveness in diverse construction sites validates its potential for widespread adoption to mitigate risks and improve safety management.