A working memory investigation of immersive visualization technologies on construction task performance

Human society is rapidly moving to a digital economy. The emergence of new visualization technologies including Building Information Modeling (BIM), Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR) are transforming the practices in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. Despite the growing evidence about the benefits of immersive visualization technologies in AEC projects, there is still a lack of understanding about the underlying mechanisms about why and how different visualization methods of engineering information affect the performance of construction workers in complex tasks. This research hypothesizes that different engineering information visualization methods affect the performance of construction workers by influencing and regulating the development and retrieval of working memory, i.e. , the short-term and temporary storage of information pertaining to the near future events or tasks. To test the hypothesis, a series of human-subject experiments were conducted. First, a theoretical framework was developed based on relevant cognitive theories including the working memory theory, the multimedia learning theory, and the Wickens’ model of human information processing. The developed framework helps identify knowledge gaps pertaining to the relationship between information processing and working memory in construction tasks. It also sets the foundation for three interrelated studies to understand how information visualization affects the development and retrieval of working memory in complex construction tasks. Then a VR system with motion tracking and eye tracking functions was developed as the testbeds of three human-subject experiments, which aim to examine how various engineering information visualization methods (e.g., narratives, 2D drawings, 3D models, and VR) affect the encoding quality and recalling difficulty working memory, as well as the selection of information acquisition strategies that affect the overall encoding and recalling efficiency of working memory. Finally, the findings will be used to test the proposed framework for explaining why and how immersive information visualization methods are affecting the performance of construction workers in a predictable way. The main contribution of this study includes evidence and theoretical framework for the fundamental mechanism about how engineering information visualization methods (especially the immersive methods) affect construction tasks and inspiring the design of personalized information systems for future civil engineering workforce.