During the summer semester, selected STU students completed an international Blended Intensive Program (BIP) focused on applying 3D point clouds to building documentation, cultural heritage preservation, infrastructure monitoring, and environmental analysis. The program was held as part of the European university alliance EULiST and featured experts from our faculty.
The educational program Point Clouds for Society: Cultural Heritage, Infrastructure, and Environment was organized by the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) in cooperation with Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien) and the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava (STU). Instruction was delivered by 15 lecturers from the three participating universities. From STU, Prof. Ing. Ján Erdélyi, PhD., from the Department of Surveying at the Faculty of Civil Engineering (FCE), coordinated the event program. Other FCE faculty members also contributed: Assoc. Prof. Ing. Tomáš Funtík, PhD., oversaw the online component, while Ing. Richard Honti, PhD., and Ing. Richard Varga led the practical training.
A total of 34 students from five European universities participated in the program, including six from STU. The program combined theoretical instruction with hands-on experience. Teachers and mentors introduced students to best practices and methodologies for acquiring, processing, and applying 3D point cloud data across fields such as Building Information Modeling (BIM), cultural heritage documentation, infrastructure monitoring, and environmental analysis. Key topics included photogrammetry and laser scanning, SLAM applications, conventional surveying methods and data integration, BIM creation, preparation of surveying documentation for cultural heritage sites, and vegetation assessment using point cloud data.
The prior online classes were linked to an intensive one-week workshop at the National Technical University of Athens. From April 20 to 27, 2026, students conducted field measurements around the Agios Ioannis Kynigos Monastery on the slopes of Mount Hymettus. The fieldwork was followed by lectures and seminars on processing the collected data. The program concluded at the end of the semester with online presentations of the final student projects. Participants who successfully completed the program received a certificate from the National Technical University of Athens.
“The Point Clouds for Society program has so far been a one-off activity. However, given strong student interest and the experience gained, we plan to organize another BIP within the same consortium on a different topic soon,” said Professor Ján Erdélyi.
Participation in this international intensive program confirmed that the EULiST European university alliance successfully creates opportunities for knowledge sharing and provides our students with invaluable experience in an international academic and research environment.
Photo source: EULiST/National Technical University of Athens
