Presence, Mixed Reality, and Risk-Taking Behavior: A Study in Safety Interventions

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Occupational Safety and Health
• Virtual Reality

Background:

• Immersive environments are used for safety training in high-risk fields.
• Limited research exists on using these systems to evaluate construction worker risk-taking behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate the feasibility of using mixed-reality (MR) with passive haptics to capture construction worker risk-taking behavior.
• Identify at-risk workers and propose injury-prevention interventions.
• Evaluate risk perception and risk-compensatory behavior.

Main Methods:

• Subjects performed a shingle installation task on a virtual sloped roof within a CAVE-like MR environment.
• A within-subject design manipulated safety intervention levels across three experimental conditions.
• Measures included subjective reports, physiological signals, psychophysical responses, and reactionary behaviors to assess Presence.

Main Results:

• The MR environment successfully triggered behavioral changes under varying safety conditions.
• The system proved effective in evaluating worker risk perception and risk-taking behavior in a controlled setting.
• Passive haptics in MR environments show promise for capturing nuanced behavioral data.

Conclusions:

• Mixed-reality environments with passive haptics are a viable platform for assessing construction worker risk-taking.
• This technology can identify at-risk individuals and inform targeted injury-prevention strategies.
• Immersive technology offers valuable insights into natural human factors in occupational safety.