Benjamin Bercasio was born and raised in O‘ahu, Hawai‘i,
and graduated from Pearl City High School in 2022. He is a
graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer
Science with a concentration in Creative Computational
Media from the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa. He is
currently planning to enter graduate school to do research
in GPU programming and 2D/3D rendering techniques.
During his free time in college, he was an officer at his
university’s game development club, helping his peers learn
about game development and collaboration in large
projects. He is also heavily involved in STEM outreach in
Hawai‘i, particularly the state’s Science Olympiad program,
where he regularly volunteers as a mentor, test writer, event
supervisor for astronomy-related events in K-12
tournaments.
Home Island: Oahu
High School: Pearl City High School
Institution when accepted: UH Manoa
Site: Gemini Observatory. Hilo, Hawaii Island
Mentors: Hawi Stecher & Emma Kurz
Project title: Expansion of a 3D Visualization of the Gemini North Telescope in Unreal Engine with TCS Integration
Project Abstract:
The Gemini North telescope, alongside its twin Gemini South, is among the most advanced
optical/infrared telescopes globally. A 3D visualization of the telescope utilizing high-fidelity
models of the telescope was created last year for the observatory’s engineering team, providing a
platform for testing the telescope’s positional limits and motions. However, the visualization was
manually controlled, disconnected from on-site operations, and offered limited interactivity. To
address this gap, this project focuses on integrating real-time data from the Gemini Telescope
Control System (TCS), which encompasses both enclosure and telescope systems, and
implementing a more expansive user experience. The visualization was created using Unreal
Engine 5, with Blueprints Visual Scripting and C++ being used for the front-end and simulation
logic, respectively. A new user interface was created with better readability and more manual
control features, such as date and time selection, simulation speed options, various fixed camera
views, and pointing and tracking capability for 10,000 stars. Users can also toggle a live mode,
which retrieves data from the telescope’s TCS via a Python data feed that is used to drive the
visualization’s azimuth, altitude, Cassegrain, and dome motions. This feature’s implementation was
enabled by an architectural shift to the Model-View-Controller pattern, which increased modularity
and eased development. The final product will be given over to Gemini’s Real-time Software
Engineering team and is expected to be used for both engineering purposes and potentially public
outreach.