Smart Systems Lab

The Smart Systems Laboratory at Virginia Tech conducts interdisciplinary research at the intersection of computing, engineering, and workforce development to shape the future of construction and the built environment. Supported by federal agencies such as the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, and industry partners like Trimble Technologies, our work explores how intelligent systems can make construction environments safer, smarter, and more sustainable. We develop decision-support tools, cyber-physical systems, digital twins, and immersive educational technologies to improve workforce health, safety, training, and learning outcomes. Our research integrates artificial intelligence, optimization, advanced sensing, and XR technologies across the following areas: human–robot collaboration and wearable exoskeletons, embodied learning in virtual and augmented environments, real-time safety monitoring with UAVs and computer vision, and cyberlearning strategies that connect students with real-world practice. At its core, the lab aims to empower the construction workforce with the skills, tools, and technologies needed to lead technological innovation in the built environment.

Are you interested in any of the above or related areas? We have openings for new Ph.D. students starting Fall 2026. Contact Dr. Abiola Akanmu, Email: abiola@vt.edu.

News

[November 22, 2023] Our paper was awarded the ' Best International Research Paper Award at CONVR 2023'.

[May 17, 2023] I was honored with a 2023 Dean's Award for Excellence -- Faculty Fellow.

[May 1, 2023] Our paper was selected to be featured in the Editor’s Choice section of the Journal of Construction Engineering and Management page in the ASCE Library https://ascelibrary.org/journal/jcemd4.

[May 1, 2023] Nihar defended his PhD work.

[October 28, 2022] Our paper was honored with the passed his preliminary exam.

[July and September 2022] Bola and Johnson defended their PhD work.

[November 24, 2021] Nihar Gonsalves and Omobolanle Ogunseiju's papers have been accepted for presentation at the ConVR 2021 Conference.

[November 24, 2021] We welcome new PhD students (Nihar Gonsalves and Mohammad Khalid) to the Smart Systems lab.

[May 11, 2021] Nihar Gonslaves will be starting an internship at Allan Meyers this summer.

[April 5-9, 2021] Nihar Gonslaves and Omobolanle Ogunseiju presented papers at the 2021 Associated Schools of Construction Annual International Conference.

[January 5, 2021] PhD student Omobolanle Ogunseiju has been invited to submit an extended version of her conference paper, “Holographic learning environment for bridging the technical skill gap of the future smart construction engineering students ” to a special issue in ITCON: Journal of Information Technology in Construction.

[January 5, 2021] We have been invited to submit an extended version of our conference paper, “Digital Twin Driven Musculoskeletal Injury Prevention System ” to a special issue in SASBE: Smart and Sustainable Built Environment.

[October 1, 2020] PhD students Omobolanle Ogunseiju and Johnson Olayiwola present papers at the 20th International Conference on Construction Applications of Virtual Reality (CONVR 2020).

[June 12, 2020] PhD student Johnson Olayiwola has been invited to submit an extended version of his conference paper, “Enhancing Virtual Site Visits via Bi-directional Coordination between Construction Sites and Classrooms” to a ASCE journal for peer-review and possible publication in the Journal.

[July 10, 2020] PhD students Johnson Olayiwola and Omobolanle Ogunseiju passed their qualifying exams.

[March 9, 2020] PhD students Omobolanle Ogunseiju and Johnson Olayiwola present a paper and poster at the Construction Research Congress (CRC) 2020 in Arizona.

[February, 2020] Congratulations to PhD student Johnson Olayiwola for winning the College of Architecture and Urban Studies 2020 Outstanding PhD Student Award. https://hci.icat.vt.edu/news/awards--jobs--graduations-.html

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