Due to the fact that I have been very busy with work I haven't had as much time this week for adventures. So I have decided to share some of what I have been doing at work. I will also show one of the most satisfying things that is possible in the engineering world. Designing something, building your design, and then having it all work. For the first part of my work here I had to design a system that control the x, y, and z position of a camera lens such that we could accurately center a camera for testing and know its exact position. Then be able to return to this exact position for different cameras. So through the awesome world of Solid Works I was able to create this.

So in the above picture I have labeled the integration sphere 1, which is the light source that we will use to calibrate the camera. Then labeled 2 is the acrylic dome that will fit inside the dome to replicate the actual domes used at the observatory. Then labeled 3 is a light blocker which blocks the spheres light source from the field of view of the camera. Labeled 4 are the lab jacks that will control the height of the camera, and then labeled 5 are the tracks along which they can slide to change their distance from the sphere.

Now this is where I am in the process of building up the system.

I am currently testing different ways to make the blocker labeled 3 in the top picture. Once I have the system fully built I will be sure to put up more pictures.