Richard is a junior at Maui Community College and is interested in Space research. He is intrigued by the possibility of the design and colonization of space. Richard grew up in the Midwest, Philippines and Japan. For the last four years he has lived on Maui and worked to save money to go back to school. He has a seven year old son. 

Home Island: Maui
Institution when accepted: Maui Community College

Akamai Project: Motion Controllers on the Adaptive Optics Bench
Project Site: Boeing
Mentor: Rusty Hughes
Project Abstract:

Motion controllers enable lens, mirrors, phase plates, and other devices on the adaptive optics (A/O) bench to be manipulated with accuracy and extreme precision. From a preventive maintenance (P/M) aspect, controllers were analyzed to reduce the most labor-
intensive components of maintenance. When the controllers were disassembled, elongated terminal leads were added, and external mounts for the R.A.M. batteries were manufactured. This modification shortened the amount of time that the P/M would take to disassemble and test/ change the internal batteries from thirty minutes per unit to thirty seconds per unit. Due to technical ramifications that would be potentially negative, the external mounts for the batteries were not acceptable in the modification approval meetings, so the focus has turned back to following the initial P/M procedures. However, further modifications and labor reducing techniques will continue to be explored.