The Thinking Telescope project has been underway since a development mandate in October 2004. We have the advantage that elements of our hardware and communications system can be leveraged from existing projects; therefore great progress has been made in this short time period.

 Operational

Hardware:

RAPTOR System is fully operational. Responding to alerts and acquiring data

Database:

Operational - Data is being merged into SkyDot

Machine Learning:

•  Systems for image clean up and some processing

•  Systems for GRB afterglow identification

Communication:

Operational, through TALONS

•   System now using both VOEvent and Integer byte packet notification delivery

•   Operational use of Transport and RTML protocols

•   Gateway implemented with eSTAR for bidirectional communications

Next phases of development (underway)

Database:

Merging of SkyDot/TALONS and Web-based operations

Hardware:

Upgrades of existing follow-up hardware

•  Installation of co-aligned 4 x 0.4m follow-up system (expected first light 8/2006)

•  Installation of high speed 0.5m follow-up with polarimeter (expected first light 10/2006)

•  Installation of 16 camera mosaic survey upgrade (~16 mag limit) (expected first light 11/2006) 

•  Installation of 0.4m secondary follow-up (matches RAPTOR S) at LANSCE site (expected first light 3/2007)

Machine Learning:

Additional Machine Learning Systems

•  Automated object classification

•  Anomaly identification system

•  Development of intelligent decision system to tie into TALONS and SKYDOT