A portable refracting telescope and tripod system designed to combine optical adjustability, mechanical stability, portability, and manufacturability.
The team developed a sliding optical tube assembly that adjusts lens spacing for focusing and zooming while maintaining structural stability during use.
The complete system included telescoping tripod legs, an adjustable central hinge, custom optical components, a curved eyepiece assembly, and a collapsible structure for transportation.
Mechanical Design & Structural Analysis
As part of the design team, I focused on the mechanical and structural development of the telescope and tripod system.
- Designed and modeled components of the telescope and load-bearing tripod system in SolidWorks.
- Developed CAD assemblies and engineering drawings while considering fit, tolerances, assembly, and manufacturability.
- Performed analytical load calculations for the tripod under normal operating, peak-load, and uneven-ground conditions.
- Evaluated tripod load distribution, compression forces, and buckling requirements using a structural factor of safety of 2.0.
- Supported development of the 65-lbf load-bearing tripod design and evaluated structural stability under off-axis loading.
- Performed SolidWorks finite element analysis on critical structural components, including the central hinge and telescope body.
- Evaluated material options based on stiffness, weight, manufacturability, friction behavior, and structural performance.
- Helped refine the final assembly for portability, stability, structural performance, and realistic manufacturing.
The complete telescope system was developed collaboratively by the project team. This section highlights my individual mechanical-design and structural-analysis contributions.
The final system integrated optical, mechanical, structural, and ergonomic requirements into one assembly.
Sliding tube sections allow controlled adjustment of lens spacing for focusing and zooming.
Connects the tripod legs to the central support and provides angular adjustment.
Adjustable leg sections provide height control, stability, and portability.
Curved lens housing redirects the optical path for more comfortable viewing.
SolidWorks was used to model the telescope components and verify that the parts integrated correctly within the final assembly.
CAD development helped refine leg geometry, hinge placement, optical tube dimensions, and component interfaces while confirming that the system could collapse for transportation.
Material selections balanced strength, weight, friction, durability, precision, and manufacturability.
Used for the optical tube, tripod legs, and structural elements because of its stiffness-to-weight ratio, machinability, and corrosion resistance.
Used for lens-holder and threaded eyepiece components to provide precise threading and maintain optical alignment.
Used at sliding and pivot interfaces to reduce friction and improve controlled motion.
Used at the tripod feet to improve traction and reduce vibration during use.
Structural calculations were used to verify tripod stability under multiple loading conditions.
Peak Load
Telescope + user-applied load
28.28 lbf / leg 18.18 lbf horizontal componentTelescope Only
15-lbf telescope load
6.53 lbf / leg 4.20 lbf horizontal componentUneven Ground
Off-center 65-lbf loading
33.96 lbf worst-loaded tripod legSolidWorks FEA was used to evaluate stress and strain behavior in critical telescope components.
Downward structural load
High-load structural evaluation
Concentrated near fixed screw
The central hinge showed its largest strain near the tripod-leg connection locations, while the telescope-body analysis showed the highest stress near the fixed screw.
The project combined CAD, materials, structural mechanics, and optical considerations into one integrated mechanical system.
Analytical calculations and FEA helped validate structural performance while CAD modeling supported assembly, portability, and manufacturability.
Final Design Report
The report contains the complete mechanical design, CAD development, component descriptions, structural calculations, material selection, FEA results, and project conclusions.