👏 Welcome to the CHAT Lab!

Construction Human-centric Automation & Technology (CHAT) Lab is dedicated to autonomous technology applications on construction sites. We are interested in integrating human knowledge and prioritizing human-centric design for technology-empowered construction automation. We are particularly interested in the role of AI in this human-technology interaction (HTI) process. Currently, our research focus includes: (1) Human-Technology Interaction in the Construction Workplace; (2) Generative AI, Computing-Powered Construction Application; (3) Smart Contracts for Decentralized Construction Management.

Prospective Students

• The CHAT Lab is looking for one Ph.D. student starting in Fall 2026. Details about the position can be found here. Students who are already enrolled in UNC Charlotte, and anyone who is located in the U.S will be preferred!
• We also welcome visiting scholars and exchange students from around the world who are interested in construction technology and automation.
• If you are interested in collaboration, please contact Dr. Gongfan Chen.

News

• [2026.1] Saniya Pritchett joined the CHAT Lab as an undergraduate researcher. Welcome, Saniya!
• [2025.12] The conference paper titled “A Novel Edge Computing Framework for Construction Nail Detection under Conditions of Constrained Computing Resources” was published in the ASCE International Conference on Computing in Civil Engineering (i3CE) 2024, held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 2024.
• [2025.12] The conference paper titled “Integrating Sensor-Empowered Federated Learning and Smart Contracts for Automatic Flood Risk Management” was published in the ASCE International Conference on Computing in Civil Engineering (i3CE) 2024, held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 2024.
• [2025.11] CHAT Lab received a grant from UNC Charlotte OUR program to work on Edge AI in construction applications in Spring 2026.
• [2025.11] CHAT Lab received two grants from UNC Charlotte SoTL program to work on AI in Teaching and Learning.
• [2025.10] Dr. Chen has been selected as a member of the Innovation Incubator Faculty from urbanCORE to work on Charlotte’s identified Opportunity Corridors.
• [2025.10] Dr. Gongfan Chen started an affiliated position with the Charlotte AI Institute.
• [2025.10] Dr. Gongfan Chen started an affiliated position with the Charlotte AIR Institute.
• [2025.09] Journal paper “Using a Large Language Model-Powered Framework for Automatic Risk Identification and Mitigation from Past Claims and Supplemental Agreements” has been accepted by the ASCE Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering.
• [2025.08] Dr. Gongfan Chen started his position at UNC Charlotte!
• [2025.07] Dr. Chen presents CII-funded research “RT-398: Fit-for-Purpose Handbook for Effective Implementation of CII Best Practices” at the 2025 CII annual conference in Nashville, Tennessee! click here
• [2025.05] 🎉 The CHAT Lab is now live!
• [2025.04] Dr. Gongfan Chen will join the Department of Engineering Technology and Construction Management at the UNC Charlotte as an Assistant Professor this coming August!