The Art of Efficiency-Automating Waite Research

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Making telescope mirrors is a little bit of art and a lot of craft. You watch a mirror spin around hundreds of thousands of times, splashing on a bit of cerium oxide here and there. Our work relies on efficiency, and efficiency these days means robotics. So while designing and adding a new overarm to one of our mirror polishing machines, we decided to push the envelope. Our machine is now driven by an Arduino micro-controller, so tool placement on the mirror is directed by an intelligent program. We've even developed a robotic system to deliver the cerox polishing agent in just the right amount, at just the right place, at just the right time. For a guy who has polished telescope mirrors for nearly fifty years, it's a thing of beauty.
My son, Emerson, has captured that spirit in this video documenting the development of our new machine. Very soon it will be followed by the introduction of our amazing next generation of Renegade telescopes! As always, feel free to comment or ask questions or email. We're happy to talk about our passion for making mirrors and building telescopes!