Sample Positioning (Robotics and Automation)
The sample, i.e. the material that we want to study (e.g. a drop of cellular membranes) needs to be illuminated with x-rays. Now, why would that be a problem? Can't we just beam around with the x-rays as with a laser pointer? You'll have to look at the x-ray machine to see why not. It turns out, at least for our applications, that it is easier to hold the x-ray beam fixed and move the sample. But even this "simplification" is easier said than done. To make the sample meet the beam is similar to making two needles intersect. That is because the beam cross-section and the sample dimensions are typically on the order of a millimeter or less. Oh, I forgot to mention that we have to do all that remotely using computer controlled motors, belts, and sensors.
Learn:
- how stepper and servo motors work and how they are controlled
- how to design an efficient positioning system given the spatial constraints due to the x-ray setup
- about principles of mechanics and mechanical engineering