Please bear with me regarding the length of this posting. I feel it is necessary to document the basis of this summary.
1) On LC's website we found where he had ordered text books on Mechanical Engineering, Design of Scientific Instruments, and Robotics; (at link, about
1/2 inch down vertical scroll bar)
http://lachlan.bluehaze.com.au/other-links.html
Scientific Instrument design
a.. "Laboratory Instruments: their design and application" by A. Elliott and J Home Dickson, published by Chapman and Hall (1959)
b.. Elliott, A. and J. Home Dickson. Laboratory Instruments: Their Design and Application. Second Edition Revised. NY: Chemical Publishing Company,
1960. Hardcover. 514pp
a.. At
http://s1.amazon.com/exec/varzea/ts...552/qid=1046096905/sr=1-1/002-0942087-3868069
c.. "Building Scientific Apparatus" by John Moore, Christopher Davis and Michael Coplan (Westview Press; 3rd edition (July 15, 2002)), ISBN: 0813340063
a.. At
Amazon.com: Building Scientific Apparatus (9780813340067): John H. Moore, Christopher C. Davis, Michael A. Coplan
d.. (for digitial control, ground loop, etc): "Microcontroller Based Temperature Monitoring & Control" by Dogan Ibrahim (Butterworth-Heinemann;
1st edition (August 15, 2002)), ISBN: 0750655569
a.. At
Amazon.com: Microcontroller-Based Temperature Monitoring and Control (9780750655569): Dogan Ibrahim
e.. Keywords:
a.. mechanical design
b.. mechanical automatic process control
c.. machine design
d.. industrial control
e.. electrical machines and drive systems
f.. handbook of machine design
g.. mechanism design
h.. planar mechanism
i.. kinematics and dynamics of machines and mechanisms
j.. mechanical batch control systems
k.. digital control
l.. robotics
m.. control of machinery
n.. mechanical systems interfacing
o.. automatic systems
p.. control engineering
q.. control systems
r.. control systems engineering
s.. systems engineering
t.. control systems design
f.. (for digital control, ground loop, etc): "Temperature Measurement and Control (Iee Control Engineering Series 33)" by J. R. Leigh (Peter Peregrinus Ltd; (December 1988)), ISBN: 0863411118
a.. At
Amazon.com: Temperature Measurement and Control (Control Engineering Series) (I E E Control Engineering Series) (9780863411113)
g.. "Newnes Engineering Materials Pocket book" by W Bolton 2nd Ed (1996) ISBN 0-7506-2886-3
a.. At
Newnes Workshop Engineer's Pocket Book: Amazon.co.uk: Roger Timings: 9780750647199
h.. Mechanical Engineer's Data Handbook by James Carvill (1994) - Butterworth-Heinemann;
ISBN: 0750619600
a.. At
Mechanical Engineers Data Handbook: Amazon.co.uk: James Carvill
2) Lachlan's team completed the production of the robotic arm, it was vetted, approved,
published in the Journal of Applied Crystallography in
Dec/2009, and listed in the CNBC (Neutron Beam Center) acknowledgments for 2009-2010:
http://www.cins.ca/docs/CNBC_2009-2010.pdf
See page 25 of 28: Publication List, 2009,
#3 -
"A Robotic Arm as a Simple Sample Changer for a Diffractometer with
Very Low Component Costs
D.Llan, I.P. Swainson,
LMD Cranswick and R. Donaberger
Journal of Applied Crystallography 42 (2009)
3) Posting at the Wiley Online Library:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/advanced/search/results
Journal of Applied Crystallography 42 (2009)
a..
A robotic arm as a simple sample changer for a diffractometer with very low component costs
Journal of Applied Crystallography
Volume 42, Issue 6, December 2009, Pages: 1206-1208,
D. Lian, I. P. Swainson,
L. M. D. Cranswick and R. Donaberger
DOI: 10.1107/S0021889809036164
a.. Abstract
b.. Full Article (HTML)
c.. PDF(266K)
more about it:
http://journals.iucr.org/j/issues/2009/06/00/he5457/index.html?sentby=wiley
buy article online
An online subscription or single-article purchase is required to access this article.
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J. Appl. Cryst. (2009). 42, 1206-1208 [ doi:10.1107/S0021889809036164 ]
A robotic arm as a simple sample changer for a diffractometer with very low component costs
D. Lian, I. P. Swainson,
L. M. D. Cranswick and R. Donaberger
Abstract: Inexpensive model robots are a viable option for automation of simple, repetitive tasks and can be solutions when space restriction and funding are issues, both factors that may eliminate more advanced robots
from consideration. A simple-to-program, inexpensive robotic arm has been integrated in a sample changer for room-temperature experiments on a neutron powder diffractometer. In spite of the limited precision inherent in a model, servo-controlled robot, a very reproducible overall system can be made. Simple `tricks' such as incorporating self-centering mechanisms, e.g.
mechanically self-centering designs and magnets, can produce central forces that eliminate the need for high precision from the robot arm.
Keywords: robotics; sample changer; automation; powder diffractometer.
5) So, this was
published in the Dec/2009 issue (#6)....don't know the exact date, but
within a month, LC disappeared. Not coincidence, imo.
With that publication did some entity know for sure who was the brains behind the successful repair of the old reactor? The slightly built genius with the honest heart, indomitable spirit and the courage of a lion had defeated them.
6) On 05/14/2009 the old NRU reactor went down and the known leak became discovery of 10 more, plus another as well as tritium released into the air, found 12/05/2009 but not reported to regulators for four days after discovery.
I think that by June, 2009 LC had made his decision to invent the robotic arm(s) necessary to clean and repair the reactor; so he ordered the textbooks necessary to educate himself and did, with three colleagues, successfully accomplish that.
7) LC may have suspected or known that at least some of the leaks were from sabotage, f
or in June/2009 he made a list of all the passwords to the website and programs (which he had created) pertaining to the Curling Club and sent them to the Club Executive, as related by Chris Knight in his speech at Lachlan's memorial service in Deep River:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGPd0xqOprM&feature=related
At 06:52 in the video Chris Knight told that
Lachlan said,
"In case I get hit by a bus here's all the passwords..."
8) Did he have a premonition? Or was it a calculated probability?
The old NRU went down 05/14/2009 - is there a connection between that occurrence and LC's prophetic e-mailing of the passwords to the Executive
in June/2009....
"in case I get hit by a bus"...?
Did he by June, 2009 fully realize the situation, the stand and actions he was going to take regarding it, and the possible consequences of those actions?
I think he knew; and knew what he was up against and who was involved. So he educated himself and set his sights on designing the robotic tools to
repair the old NRU in spite of knowing there were those who desired its death so the sell-off would come about.
And...
on January 18, 2010 "the bus" hit him.
dd2