Abstract
A multiple pick off mirror positioning system has been developed as a solution for the deployment of mirrors within multi-object instrumentation such as the EAGLE instrument in the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT). The positioning system is a two wheeled differential drive robot with a footprint of approximately 20 x 20mm. Controlled by RF communications the robot operates through a single cell rechargeable battery. The robot uses two brushless DC motors with 125:1 planetary gear heads for positioning in the coarse drive stages. This report will detail the open looped linear testing that has been conducted on the coarse positioning system to characterize the system. Results from the linear testing has also been used to describe the rotational properties of the coarse drive positioning system of the robot and will indicate the need for a fine positioning system.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Proceedings SPIE Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation 2012 |
| Subtitle of host publication | Modern Technologies in Space- and Ground-based Telescopes and Instrumentation II |
| Editors | Ramón Navarro, Colin R. Cunningham, Eric Prieto |
| Publisher | SPIE |
| Pages | 8450-43 |
| Volume | 8450 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780819491510 |
| Publication status | Published - 2012 |
Keywords
- Micro robots
- Multi-object instrumentation
- Astronomy