Web cam put atop
Students able to watch construction of Tucker Tech over the Internet

By Melissa Christensen
Staff Reporter

The world is watching TCU take shape through the use of a real-time Web camera overlooking the construction of the William E. and Jean Jones Tucker Technology Center.

Mounted atop a storage building on the roof of the Sid W. Richardson Building, the camera can be controlled by individual visitors at the camera’s Web site (http://tuckercam.tcu.edu). A visitor can zoom, pan and tilt the camera, taking in scenes as close as the Tucker construction site and as far as Fort Worth’s downtown skyline.

A new visitor to the site gains control of the camera in about one minute. Only one person may control the camera at a time, but archived video is accessible at any time.

Victor Neil, director of new media, said the camera was included as part of the online management process of Austin Commercial, the Dallas-based construction firm building the technology center.

He said although Austin Commercial does not require the camera to remain over the construction site, the university plans to keep the camera in place for the duration of the construction process. He said it may be moved to oversee the Rickel Building renovations or be placed in the Student Center once the technology center is complete.

“We want to put it somewhere that has a lot of activity,” Neil said.

Photo by Sarah Kirschberg/PHOTO EDITOR Work continues on the William E. and Jean Jones Tucker Technology Center as seen from the angle of a camera set on the roof of the Sid W. Richardson Building.

Willett Stallworth, associate vice chancellor for Plant Management, said a similar camera may be purchased for the Rickel site in May because the two construction projects will overlap.

Doug Thomas, a project engineer with Austin Commercial, said a Web camera is mostly used on the company’s high-profile projects, including the American Airlines expansion into Terminal D at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and the Dallas Arena, which will house the Dallas Stars and the Dallas Mavericks sports teams.

Thomas said the Web camera is worth between $3,500 and $4,000 and is maintained through the client’s local area network.
Mike McCracken, dean of the College of Science and Engineering, said the camera will assist in recruiting students.

“We will certainly call the (Web) site to the attention of prospective students, particularly those who may be interested in mathematics, engineering and computer science,” he said. “As the building takes shape, having the site available for viewing will enable us to provide a more tangible representation of the type of facilities that will be available to them.”

Stallworth said the real-time camera provides an additional safety and security measure and maintains an hourly archive of activity.

“It allows TCU alumni and friends to see the progress of the construction,” he said.

Neil said the architects and construction company benefit from the Web camera as well.

“A visual image is a lot more powerful for the architect than a phone call to the construction foreman,” he said.

Neil established five preset camera views from which visitors can start their control of the camera: the Tucker construction site, Fort Worth’s downtown skyline, the front of Charles Tandy Hall, the TAGER-TV studio’s satellites and the parking lot on Bowie Street across from the construction site. Neil said links to the Tucker camera Web site will be established from appropriate TCU pages.

The site requires Flash software on Java-enabled computers. Neil said most of the functions and design of the Web site came with the camera, and he added the TCU-specific touches, such as the logo.

Melissa Christensen
m.s.christense@student.tcu.edu