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A project log for Folds and Hinges Technology to Make Mechanisms

Engraving by CNC a special composite, the Hylite, to create folds and hinges. Zatsit, so made, is on Kickstarter until oct 5, 2018. Hurry!

marc-peltierMarc Peltier 06/02/2018 at 18:080 Comments

Remote control of the focus on a telescope


This was, for me, the very first application of engraved Hylite technology: Create a Sarrus mechanism, in Hylite, to be able to focus a small telescope at a distance, without having to touch it.

Cheap amateur telescopes, such as this venerable 114mm newtonian, often have mounts that are a little too frail. At high magnification, just touching them to adjust the focus makes the image shake in a way that makes focusing very difficult.

This device includes a Sarrus mechanism, deformed by the action of two air bellows. A silicone tube connects these bellows to two syringes of different diameters, which the operator holds in his hand. 

By acting on the pistons, without touching the scope, the extension of the bellows is varied, and thus the position of the eyepiece. The two syringes make it possible to obtain two ratios: coarse focus or fine focus.

The improvement in use is magical! Very fine adjustments can be made with a perfectly stable image, as if it were a very high-end telescope.


It works so well, that I'm thinking of updating this application, to make it a commercial product, after Zatsit.

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