Starbug: enabling the smart focal plane

Andrew McGrath; Anna Moore

doi:10.1117/12.550292

29 September 2004 Starbug: enabling the smart focal plane

Andrew McGrath, Anna Moore

Proceedings Volume 5495, Astronomical Structures and Mechanisms Technology; (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.550292
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2004, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Abstract

We propose a new robotic system for positioning payloads such as pickoff mirrors, fibres or deployable IFUs on telescope focal planes. Based on a combination of concepts used in existing fibre positioning systems, the proposed system retains the advantages of each type of existing positioner, while eliminating many of the disadvantages. It employs micro-robotic actuators to independently and simultaneously position an arbitrary number of small payloads accurately on an arbitrarily large field plate and offers a cost-effective and multiply-redundant design for payload positioning systems suitable for use at Cassegrain or Nasmyth foci of large telescopes. Operation in cryogenic environments, positioning accuracies of a few microns, simultaneous movement of arbitrary numbers of positioners and the removal of many movement constraints are some of the advantages offered. We demonstrate a prototype positioner for the system.

Citation Download Citation

Andrew McGrath and Anna Moore "Starbug: enabling the smart focal plane", Proc. SPIE 5495, Astronomical Structures and Mechanisms Technology, (29 September 2004); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.550292

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