Our mission
Astronomical imaging of ever-fainter objects and imaging the Earth from space require much higher angular resolution and dynamic range than current optical telescopes can deliver. Mirrors, the critical elements of these systems, are technologically challenging to improve because they must maintain an exceedingly precise shape while resisting deformation from gravity and variable wind loads in the open environments in which they operate. For over a century, the primary technology for shaping mirrors has been that of “abrasive polishing,” with stiffness to resist environmental deformation provided by steel and glass, which increases the mass significantly.
This is impractical for systems larger than a few meters. Current mirror telescopes and solar concentrators exceed this limit and depend on cumbersome active mirror surface shape control.
In this context, the EIC-funded Live-Mirror project proposes a novel disruptive solution: lightweight mirrors made of fire-polished slumped glass sheets and actively supported by electro-active polymer-based actuators. By using advanced manufacturing techniques and real-time control systems, these ‘live mirrors’ offer superior optical quality at a fraction of the weight and cost, potentially revolutionising telescope and solar energy technologies. The project promises to pave the way for large and precise space- and ground-based telescopes and innovative solar energy systems through additive manufacturing and precise slumping techniques.
The EIC Live-Mirror project will establish a new paradigm: we will shape thin, very smooth, “fire-polished,” lightweight glass to a predetermined curvature and generate dynamically controlled stiffness by using the addressable energy of electroactive polymers (EAPs) to resist environmental deformation – making what we call a “Live-Mirror.”