WCU construction management students use SPOT to help local community
WCU construction management student Tanner Drum shows the images captured by SPOT.
By Cam Adams
At the Southwestern Child Development Commission building, the future is meeting the past.
甜瓜视频app construction management students brought SPOT, the College of Engineering and Technology鈥檚 robotic dog, to scan a 3-D model of the nearly century-old building in Sylva.
The scans will be used for any future renovations Southwestern CDC decides to complete.
鈥淥ne of the things that I like to do is to get the students involved in using the technology, but not in just some kind of class thing that it's a homework assignment, but something real that makes a difference,鈥� said Chris Cox, assistant professor of construction management. 鈥淚t's about people and purpose.鈥�
A student team of Tanner Drum of Jacksonville, Jeremy Volpe of Mooresville, Mario Volpe of Mooresville and River Bass of Clinton had SPOT complete over 30 individual scans of the building over the course of three and a half hours.
The team then stitched them together, resulting in a 3-D model with detailed measurements of the building. Southwestern is also working with WCU assistant professor of interior design Shelly Gregg for their future renovations.
鈥淭hat's going to help us with the renovations. It's going to help us with advertising for fundraising. We can use that for various things,鈥� said Mandy Mills, executive director of Southwestern CDC, of the 3-D model.
鈥淚t's actually going to help with all the measurements鈥� (Gregg) has done all the measurements by hand, but this is just a really good way to compare those measurements and make sure that we are on target for everything going forward with the renovations.鈥�
As a panelist for a Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning event last summer, Cox surveyed several different proposals from community partners. Cox said he looks for proposals where students can learn and have a sense of accomplishment.
That was definitely the case for Drumm, a construction management junior.
鈥淔rom the student aspect, it was great for me because it allowed me to learn exactly how these technologies are being incorporated into the industry and how these different things adapt to real world scenarios,鈥� Drumm said.
鈥淚t makes me feel really good to be able to be a part of something like this.鈥㊣ know that all the work I'm doing, even though it's voluntary for education, learning from this doesn't just benefit me. It also benefits other people as well.
鈥淗elping those in the community and helping the future of this building and also the future people that will utilize this building.鈥㊣t just warms my heart to be able to be a part of that.鈥�
