Dates: 8/1 - 8/12
Activities: Call from NY, LiDAR presentation
Technical Information: MS Power Point, Telephone
Reflection: I've been continuing to work on the LiDAR survey and fill in the excel spreadsheet. Normally I receive these survey responses via email, but recently a photogrammetry department manager from the New York Department of Transportation contacted me via phone. Although it was a little nerve-racking since I had never talked to someone from a government agency over the phone, we quickly got into an easy conversation about LiDAR technology.
On August 9th Daniel, Jeff, and I went to Century Center, one of the headquarters for NCDOT, to have our kick-off meeting for the LiDAR project. I gave a 30 minute presentation on transportation applications of this 3D scanning system. I thought the meeting went well. The members of the steering committee from NCDOT gave great pointers and insight for the direction of this project, and I can't wait to see the final product!
Overall, I really enjoyed this internship. I learned more than I ever thought I would, and I found out that I enjoy engineering research. I'm not exactly sure what type of engineering I'm interested in, but I plan to find out! I've also learned a lot about business and how people work and communicate in a professional environment. My supervisors were fantastic; they always gave great direction and advice. I was really fortunate to have such great mentors over the course of this internship. This experience has definitely opened a lot of doors, and I've had a great time!
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Entry #9 What Makes Me Proud
Dates: 7/25 - 7/29
Activities: LiDAR demo, Kick-Off Power Point, RTMS install
Technical Information: MS Power Point, WinRTMS4
Reflection: A couple days ago Chris, Daniel, Jeff, and I attended a LiDAR demo given by NCDOT. Brian, one of our NCDOT contacts, uses this 3D scanning system to create breaklines and measure bridge clearances. We met Brian at the Century Center, one of NCDOT's headquarters, and he drove us to one of their test sites to scan a section of highway. Seeing the technology first-hand was very educational. It's one thing to read about LiDAR, but to actually see it in person was pretty neat. Although it was interesting, it was also extremely hot! And because we were working on the side of the road, we were required to wear these attractive reflective vests. I even got to keep an NCDOT reflective hat as a souvenir!
Also, this week Chris and I went to install the RTMS scanning unit on the side of I-40 by the Gorman street exit. However, because we didn't have all the tools required for installation, it was postponed for a later time. It was neat to see how they install these scanning units on the side of the road. ITRE was required to coordinate with NCDOT since a bucket truck was needed for installation.
These past few days I've also been working on a power point that I will be using for the kick-off meeting with NCDOT for the LiDAR project. Because LiDAR is a 3D technology, there are always an abundance of great images, so the power point is coming along well. I'll be giving the presentation for Chris and Daniel next week so they can give me some pointers before the presentation on August 9th. The work I've been doing on LiDAR is probably my proudest accomplishment at work. Because I've spent several hours reading up on this technology, I'm probably the only person at ITRE that knows exactly what it's capabilities are.
Activities: LiDAR demo, Kick-Off Power Point, RTMS install
Technical Information: MS Power Point, WinRTMS4
Reflection: A couple days ago Chris, Daniel, Jeff, and I attended a LiDAR demo given by NCDOT. Brian, one of our NCDOT contacts, uses this 3D scanning system to create breaklines and measure bridge clearances. We met Brian at the Century Center, one of NCDOT's headquarters, and he drove us to one of their test sites to scan a section of highway. Seeing the technology first-hand was very educational. It's one thing to read about LiDAR, but to actually see it in person was pretty neat. Although it was interesting, it was also extremely hot! And because we were working on the side of the road, we were required to wear these attractive reflective vests. I even got to keep an NCDOT reflective hat as a souvenir!
Also, this week Chris and I went to install the RTMS scanning unit on the side of I-40 by the Gorman street exit. However, because we didn't have all the tools required for installation, it was postponed for a later time. It was neat to see how they install these scanning units on the side of the road. ITRE was required to coordinate with NCDOT since a bucket truck was needed for installation.
These past few days I've also been working on a power point that I will be using for the kick-off meeting with NCDOT for the LiDAR project. Because LiDAR is a 3D technology, there are always an abundance of great images, so the power point is coming along well. I'll be giving the presentation for Chris and Daniel next week so they can give me some pointers before the presentation on August 9th. The work I've been doing on LiDAR is probably my proudest accomplishment at work. Because I've spent several hours reading up on this technology, I'm probably the only person at ITRE that knows exactly what it's capabilities are.
Entry #8 Changing Duties
Dates: 7/11 - 7/14
Activities: LiDAR Lit Review, LiDAR Survey, Roundabout Inventory
Technical Information: MS Excel, MS Word, Google Earth
Reflection: Because I will be leaving next week for vacation, most of the work I've been doing is just tying up lose ends. I've finished up most of the literature review for the LiDAR project. The bulk of this task was organizing archived documents on the server and making sure I referenced them properly in the literature review. I've also been busy documenting all of the LiDAR survey results in an excel spreadsheet. Along with the excel sheet, I've been writing a summary of each state's answer in a word document. Because there are over 75 contacts in total, it's a lot to keep up with, but I love the challenge!
I've also been able to finish up the roundabout inventory for roundabouts across the United States. It took a lot of time, but it's done! I color-coded all of the roundabouts. The completed ones are in green, while those who are still under construction or have a strange configuration are coded in yellow. It's been a neat experience using Google Earth; I was definitely surprised at how high quality the visuals were.
My duties have definitely changed over the course of this internship. My supervisors have given me more responsibility as time has progressed. For example, because I did such a thorough job on the LiDAR literature review, they want me to create the powerpoint and give the presentation for the kick-off meeting with NCDOT in August. I'm nervous
about this presentation but excited as well!
Activities: LiDAR Lit Review, LiDAR Survey, Roundabout Inventory
Technical Information: MS Excel, MS Word, Google Earth
Reflection: Because I will be leaving next week for vacation, most of the work I've been doing is just tying up lose ends. I've finished up most of the literature review for the LiDAR project. The bulk of this task was organizing archived documents on the server and making sure I referenced them properly in the literature review. I've also been busy documenting all of the LiDAR survey results in an excel spreadsheet. Along with the excel sheet, I've been writing a summary of each state's answer in a word document. Because there are over 75 contacts in total, it's a lot to keep up with, but I love the challenge!
I've also been able to finish up the roundabout inventory for roundabouts across the United States. It took a lot of time, but it's done! I color-coded all of the roundabouts. The completed ones are in green, while those who are still under construction or have a strange configuration are coded in yellow. It's been a neat experience using Google Earth; I was definitely surprised at how high quality the visuals were.
My duties have definitely changed over the course of this internship. My supervisors have given me more responsibility as time has progressed. For example, because I did such a thorough job on the LiDAR literature review, they want me to create the powerpoint and give the presentation for the kick-off meeting with NCDOT in August. I'm nervous
about this presentation but excited as well!
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