https://doi.org/10.24928/2025/0141
Feasibility of Eye-trackers for Monitoring Cognitive Load in Lean Construction 4.0
Amira Eltahan1, Gaang Lee2 & Farook Hamzeh3
1Ph.D. Candidate, Hole School of Construction Engineering, University of Alberta, Canada2Assistant Professor, Hole School of Construction Engineering, University of Alberta, AB, Canada
3Professor, Hole School of Construction Engineering, University of Alberta, AB, Canada
Abstract
The dynamic nature of construction environments imposes significant cognitive demands on workers lead to loss of productivity and safety risks. Optimizing cognitive capacity aligns with lean construction principles by reducing waste, overburden and enhancing workers’ wellbeing, safety, and productivity. This study assesses the feasibility of eye-trackers for monitoring cognitive load on construction sites. Specifically, given the potential interference between the eye-tracking mechanism and the reflection or glare caused by safety goggles, a critical piece of protective equipment, the authors examined the impact of safety goggles on the signals’ quality of eye trackers. A controlled experiment was conducted to compare the eye-tracking signal quality metrics between with and without safety goggles. The results indicate that safety goggles introduced minor inaccuracies in fixation reliability (a 6% increase in fixation error) and blink detection (a 2% reduction in detection rate) but improved accuracy for dynamic tracking (a 27% reduction in tracking error) and maintained comparable recovery times. Furthermore, a questionnaire revealed reduced comfort and visual interference with safety goggles, highlighting the need for ergonomic improvements. This research supports integrating advanced sensor technologies in lean construction 4.0 and offers a pathway for developing practical tools to optimize worker performance and safety.
Keywords
Continuous improvement/kaizen, Waste reduction, Wearable sensors, Safety, Lean construction 4.0
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Reference in APA 7th edition format:
Eltahan, A., Lee, G. & Hamzeh, F.. (2025). Feasibility of Eye-trackers for Monitoring Cognitive Load in Lean Construction 4.0. In Seppänen, O., Koskela, L., & Murata , K. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 33rd Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC 33) (pp. 892–904). https://doi.org/10.24928/2025/0141
Shortened reference for use in IGLC papers:
Eltahan, A., Lee, G. & Hamzeh, F.. (2025). Feasibility of Eye-trackers for Monitoring Cognitive Load in Lean Construction 4.0. IGLC33. https://doi.org/10.24928/2025/0141
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