WCU construction management students use SPOT to help local community
WCU construction management student Tanner Drum shows the images captured by SPOT.
Donated photo
At the Southwestern Child Development Commission building, the future is meeting the past.
Western Carolina University construction management students brought SPOT, the College of Engineering and Technology’s 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.
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.
“From 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,” Drum said.
