published journal article

Toward Humanoid Robots in Construction: A Teleoperation Feasibility Study

Publication Date

September 30, 2026

Author(s)

Parastoo Ali Pour, David R. Martin, Chang Min Hur, Bo Zhang, Tommy Zhou, Brandon Thomas Lichter, Shane Stanfield, Pramod Khargonekar, Mohammad Al Faruque

Abstract

We present a teleoperation system that enables a single operator to perform construction tasks on a Unitree G1 humanoid, combining extended reality (XR) based upper body control with pedal-based locomotion to enable simultaneous manipulation and locomotion. Motivated by persistent labor shortages, hazardous working conditions, and challenges in humanoid autonomy, we investigate teleoperation as a practical near-term approach for reducing physical strain on workers while generating high quality demonstration data. We evaluate the system on two representative construction tasks drawn from O*NET occupational database, and report task success and completion time relative to a manual baseline. The system achieved 100% success on tool transport and 80% success on surface painting, with teleoperation requiring substantially more time compared to manual execution.

Suggested Citation
Parastoo Ali Pour, David R. Martin, Chang Min Hur, Bo Zhang, Tommy Zhou, Brandon Thomas Lichter, Shane Stanfield, Pramod Khargonekar and Mohammad Abdullah Al Faruque (2026) “Toward Humanoid Robots in Construction: A Teleoperation Feasibility Study”. Available at: 10.48550/ARXIV.2610.00718.