Cole Jamila is from Oahu, where he graduated from Mid-Pacific High School in 2018. He is in his senior year at the University of Hawaii at Manoa majoring in Mechanical Engineering. Cole is currently the chief engineer of the UH Drone Technologies lab and has been a member since he was a freshman. In his free time Cole enjoys old school film photography, and 3D printing.
Home Island: O‘ahu
High School: Mid-Pacific High School
Institution when accepted: UH Manoa
Akamai Project: Redesign of Keck II Survey Platform to Address Instrument Clearance and Safety
Project Site: W. M. Keck Observatory, Waimea HI
Mentor: Joel Payne
Project Abstract:
Within the Keck II observatory dome, there are four Survey Platforms used to provide proper working areas for theodolites, surveyor’s devices that are used to measure angles and distance. In 1998, an oversized instrument was installed onto Keck II directly under a survey platform on the right bent cassegrain elevation ring. However the platform’s left support strut interfered with the location of this instrument, and was therefore cut in order to install the instrument. The survey platform was then deemed hazardous and taped off to restrict access. The current platform with its cut support has been modeled using Solid Works, and a finite element analysis study was completed to determine existing strength, confirming that the current survey platform was not safe for use. Three possible solutions were explored and assessed: first, to leave the survey platform as-is and restrict access; second, to install an in-situ welded support; and third, create an entirely new survey platform design. The first and second recommendations have been modeled and analyzed to accommodate for instrument clearance and to provide a safe walking platform that can support 500 lbs on a 1-ft circle.