Construction Engineering and Management<\/a> PhD student Wei Han, who is leading the project, says the research focuses on a few aspects of drone distraction hazards. Crucially, a drone buzzing near a worker can impair hazard recognition and reaction times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFor this project, we know that different configurations will have different impacts on workers,” Han says. “We hope these findings will help inform whether drones should be limited to a certain distance from workers; what is the relation between drone size and distraction level. One of the most important outcomes of this study is to provide a foundational understanding of drone-related distractions, so drones can be used safely in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a set of experiments, 24 participants moved through a virtual construction site with and without drones present. They wore a virtual reality headset paired with handheld controllers and a special circular treadmill that allowed them to walk in place. The researchers measured the participants’ attention around potentially hazardous areas like fences, openings and ledges without drones, and again during drone intrusions. Some of the study participants worked for construction companies, while others had experience on construction sites as interns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur results show a reduction in workers\u2019 fixation time, which means that when a drone is present, they\u2019re not as focused on those areas as they should be,\u201d Han says. \u201cSo overall, that means they\u2019re paying less attention to their surroundings and they might notice less.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just like looking at a cell phone can imperil a motorist, construction sites demand constant vigilance. Han says the team is planning to expand its virtual testing to explore how drones could affect tower crane operators, since cranes can be some of the most dangerous pieces of equipment on construction sites. In that scenario, a crane operator might be moving materials on site while a drone is flying in view. While that happens, the operator would need to keep the payload as stable as possible, while avoiding collisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Wei](\"https:\/\/engineering.wisc.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/VR-Kat-479A9845-1024x732.avif\")