Construction Collaborative Robots Acceptance Amongst Construction Workers: Role of Initial Trust and Risk Perception

In response to labour shortages in the construction industry, the deployment of construction collaborative robots (CCRs) has become urgent. This study explored the factors impacting the acceptance of CCRs amongst construction workers. A theoretical model was formulated by integrating the technology acceptance model, initial trust, risk perception-safety (RP-S), risk perception-privacy (RP-Pr) and risk perception-performance (RP-Pe). The proposed model’s validity was validated with data gathered from 304 construction workers. The results indicated that RP-S and RP-Pe exerted a negative impact on initial trust, while PU produced a positive impact on initial trust. Initial trust, PU and PEOU positively influenced construction workers’ attitudes towards the use of CCRs, with initial trust identified as the most critical determining factor. PU and construction workers’ attitudes towards the use of CCRs positively influenced behavioural intentions. This research offered practical recommendations to promote the adoption of CCRs by construction workers for improving construction efficiency and safety.