CAGIS Inspires Future Innovators at UNC Charlotte STEAM Expo

Charlotte, N.C. — April 27, 2025 — The Center for Applied GIScience (CAGIS) engaged students, families, and educators at the UNC Charlotte STEAM Innovation Expo with hands-on geospatial technology: an Augmented-Reality (AR) Sandbox, a mapping-grade drone, and a drone-flight simulator.

Visitors sculpted virtual mountains and river valleys in real time with the AR Sandbox, watching elevation colors and contour lines shift instantly as a depth camera and projector translated their hand-built landscapes into interactive topographic models. At the drone-simulator station, guests grabbed a real drone controller using the Liftoff FPV software, and were free to explore the virtual sky—taking off, flying, rolling, and landing at will. These hands-on experiences are inspiring the next generation of STEM innovators how curiosity, technology, and imagination can reshape our world.

The STEAM Expo, hosted annually by UNC Charlotte’s Office of Educational Outreach, draws hundreds of K-12 students from across the region. The participation of CAGIS underscores the center commitment to community engagement and STEM education, inspiring the next generation to pursue innovative solutions for a smarter and more resilient world.

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to our dedicated volunteers—Qifan Zhao, Zachery Slocum, Ryan Carter, and Tianyang Chen—whose enthusiasm and expertise made the AR Sandbox and drone-simulator experiences possible.