Wearable Technologies in Construction: Age-Related Perceptions, Privacy Concerns, and Feedback Preferences

Abstract

With the increasingly aging workforce in the construction industry, understanding age-related differences in the adoption and use of wearable devices is crucial, particularly as privacy concerns pose significant barriers to implementation. While previous studies have addressed challenges older workers experience in construction, limited research has explored how wearable technologies specifically impact workers across different age groups. This study investigates older and younger construction workers' attitudes, perceptions, and interactions with employer-provided wearable devices. A comprehensive survey examined key factors such as privacy concerns, data ownership issues, mental-related data privacy, and the effects of different feedback methods on safety and performance. The findings reveal that while both older and younger workers generally hold positive attitudes towards wearable devices, older workers exhibit significantly higher privacy concerns, particularly regarding collecting mental-related data, which can lead to psychological resistance. Additionally, visual feedback was identified by both groups as the most distracting, negatively impacting safety and performance, while haptic feedback emerged as the preferred method, having the least lowering effect. These insights emphasize the need for tailored strategies in designing and implementing wearable devices to address the distinct preferences and concerns of diverse age groups, ultimately improving safety and usability in high-risk construction environments.