Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38694123›Full record

ArticleHeliyon2024

The potential of construction robotics to reduce airborne virus transmission in the construction industry in the UK and China.

Lutong Li, Pu Yuan, Yuan Tang, Glen Cooper, Simon Thurlbeck, Clara Man Cheung, Patrick Manu, Akilu Yunusa-Kaltungo, Andrew Weightman

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Heliyon, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Lutong LiDepartment of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom.
Pu YuanDepartment of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom.
Yuan TangDepartment of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom.
Glen CooperDepartment of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom.
Simon ThurlbeckDepartment of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom.
Clara Man CheungDepartment of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom.
Patrick ManuSchool of Architecture and Environment, University of the West of England, Bristol, BS16 1QY, United Kingdom.
Akilu Yunusa-KaltungoDepartment of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom.
Andrew WeightmanDepartment of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, United Kingdom.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This paper aims to identify construction robotics' potential to reduce airborne virus transmission, review factors limiting the technology's adoption and highlight how similar barriers have been addressed in other industries. Construction robotics were identified and classified into 8 themes with 25 categories through a critical literature review. We undertook interviews with 4 construction contractors and conducted an online questionnaire with 32 experts from the UK (n=14) and China (n=18) who reviewed the robotic systems we identified and ranked the potential ability of each to reduce airborne virus transmission within the construction industry. The results of this study showed that construction robotics is not only beneficial to reduce airborne virus transmission, but may also help to reduce the spread of future contagious viruses. We found no significant difference (P>0.05) in practical usage and implementation barriers to construction robotics between the UK and China. Cost, training and limited awareness of robotic technologies were the main implementation barriers we identified in both countries. Both the UK and China may need to adopt strategies such as providing more financial support to small construction industries and skill training which are utilised successfully in other sectors to realise the potential of construction robotic technologies.

Indexed as

Airborne virusesBarriersConstruction industryRoboticsTechnology

Identifiers

PMID38694123
PMCPMC11061700

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.