From another topic talking about work from home, I mentioned that I had previously had a contract which I did from home working on parts for a military laser that was intended for use in identifying and analysing Improvised Explosive Devices (IED's).
The unit was a huge truck mounted device that would be targeted and fired at a suspicious device from 100-200m away. The lazer vaporised a spot on the surface of the item and the resulting vapour was analysed back at the truck using spectography, the data collected by a large telescope built around the laser.
I designed the lens array hanging out the front...the support method attaching the laser lenses and mirrors back to the telescope was inspired by bike wheel spokes, and actually utilised aero profile spokes in order to allow maximum light back into the scope whilst allowing fine tuning of the location of the mirror/lens array, I believe a Park Tools spoke key was supplied to the US military as part of the supporting tool kit. Possibly my most WTF use of a bike part ever
The unit was a huge truck mounted device that would be targeted and fired at a suspicious device from 100-200m away. The lazer vaporised a spot on the surface of the item and the resulting vapour was analysed back at the truck using spectography, the data collected by a large telescope built around the laser.
I designed the lens array hanging out the front...the support method attaching the laser lenses and mirrors back to the telescope was inspired by bike wheel spokes, and actually utilised aero profile spokes in order to allow maximum light back into the scope whilst allowing fine tuning of the location of the mirror/lens array, I believe a Park Tools spoke key was supplied to the US military as part of the supporting tool kit. Possibly my most WTF use of a bike part ever
