Dr Waleed Umer

Assistant Professor

School: Architecture and Built Environment

My interdisciplinary research integrates advancements in health sciences, artificial intelligence & machine learning, and digital technologies to address critical issues in the construction industry. With my collaborators, I have explored several key areas: (1) real-time location monitoring using ultra-wide band sensors, (2) ergonomic evaluation of workers using electromyography & motion sensors, (3) investigating factors leading to fall accidents using force-plate and inertial measurement units, (4) mental fatigue monitoring with eye-tracking technology, electroencephalography, and computer vision sensors, and (5) physical fatigue prediction for construction workers using physiological and computer vision sensors. Some notable outputs from these research endeavors include: (1) Development of a tool to monitor balance of construction workers, (2) A novel methodology to assess fatigue using heart rate variability metrics, (3) Fatigue monitoring by fusing vision and foot-pressure sensors using inverse dynamic modelling. My current work focuses on: (1) augmented reality and Vision-Language Models (VLMs) powered solutions, (2) developing human-robot collaboration tools, and (3) exploring innovative methods for accurate fatigue monitoring.

I have worked on several funded research projects as PI and co-PI with a combined funding of over £300,000. These projects were funded by Innovate UK, Research Grant Council of Hong Kong and Ministry of Higher Education, Saudi Arabia.

Email Waleed

Key Publications

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
A mobile receiver WiFi-CSI approach for fall detection of construction workers, Hu, Y., Li, H., Cheng, M., Zhang, M., Han, S., Umer, W. 1 Oct 2025, In: Developments in the Built Environment
Deep learning-based fatigue monitoring of construction workers using physiological signals, Umer, W., Mehmood, I., Qarout, Y., Antwi-Afari, M., Anwer, S. 1 Sep 2025, In: Automation in Construction
Modeling Trust in human–Robot Collaborative Construction: An Improved Cloud Bayesian Network, Wang, L., Zhang, M., Li, H., Hu, Y., Ma, J., Umer, W., Fang, X. 3 Oct 2025, In: Expert Systems with Applications
Risk management in sustainable building projects: A systematic literature review and scientometric analysis, Wang, F., Antwi-Afari, M., Anwer, S., Umer, W., Mehmood, I. 1 Dec 2025, In: Cleaner Production Letters
A Framework for Assessing the Impacts of COVID-19 on the Construction Industries in Developing Countries, Islam, M., Hadidi, L., Haque, M., Umer, W., Navitas, P. 1 Oct 2024, In: Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities
Artificial Intelligence in Net-Zero Carbon Emissions for Sustainable Building Projects: A Systematic Literature and Science Mapping Review, Li, Y., Antwi-Afari, M., Anwer, S., Mehmood, I., Umer, W., Mohandes, S., Wuni, I., Abdul-Rahman, M., Li, H. 2 Sep 2024, In: Buildings
Assessment of Construction Workers’ Spontaneous Mental Fatigue Based on Non-Invasive and Multimodal In-Ear EEG Sensors, Fang, X., Li, H., Ma, J., Xing, X., Fu, Z., Antwi-Afari, M., Umer, W. 5 Sep 2024, In: Buildings
Building information modelling-based digital twin applications in construction safety management: a review, Meng, Y., Antwi-Afari, M., Mehmood, I., Anwer, S., Umer, W. 2 Sep 2024, Association of Researchers in Construction Management, ARCOM 2024 - Proceedings of the 40th Annual Conference, London, Association of Researchers in Construction Management (ARCOM)
Evaluation of sweat-based biomarkers using wearable biosensors for monitoring stress and fatigue: a systematic review, Ma, J., Li, H., Anwer, S., Umer, W., Antwi-Afari, M., Xiao, E. 2 Jul 2024, In: International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics
Monitoring Mental Fatigue of Construction Equipment Operators: A Smart Cushion–Based Method with Deep Learning Algorithms, Wang, L., Li, H., Wu, H., Yao, Y., Yu, C., Umer, W., Han, D., Ma, J. 1 Sep 2024, In: Journal of Management in Engineering

PGR Supervision

Graham Evans Evaluating the Environmental Consequences of Digital Integration in Construction Projects Start Date: 01/10/2024
Graham Evans Evaluating the Environmental Consequences of Digital Integration in Construction Projects Start Date: 01/10/2024 End Date: 17/10/2025