Extended Reality Within Construction Digital Twin for Operators Safety Management: A Case Study

Digital Twin (DT) technology plays a crucial role in modern industry due to the ability to digitally abstract and represent a real-world asset (e.g., products, processes, people, environments). DT is well recognized in different sectors, such as the construction industry. Moreover, the possibility to leverage DT and integrate additional technologies, like eXtended Reality (XR), leaves the chance to multiple applications having diverse purposes such as operators’ safety management. This context is particularly critical for companies due to potential risks tied with human safety. XR technology integration can significantly contribute to supporting companies in monitoring and controlling operators’ safety within the construction site boundary. Through XR, companies can analyze and monitor operators’ behaviors, also remotely, such as in correctly wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), so that accidents and safety risks can be avoided and prevented. The paper aims to design and develop an innovative advanced framework, based on XR technologies and its potential integration within DTs, for scanning operators when entering within a construction site, and to accurately control the correct use of PPE. It also enables real-time monitoring of distances between operators, machinery and equipment to ensure safety by avoiding collisions. The paper intends to share and demonstrate the implementation of such a system in the construction industry, a research context which seems to be still scarce despite well-known benefits . The research is part of SOCS (Safety On Construction Sites) research project, an Italian project funded by the Apulia Region.