China has created a unique positioning device for the world's largest radio telescope FAST's feed cabin, and the world's first flexible optical cables through four-year scientific research, said a scientist in a recent interview with CCTV in southwest China's Guizhou Province. <br /> <br />The installation of the feed cabin of China's single-aperture spherical telescope FAST in Pingtang County in the province was completed last Friday, meaning the giant telescope is ready to function. <br /> <br />Zhu Wenbai, chief of the feed cabin system, said the feed cabin is the most vital part for FAST to receive and send signals. Selection of the optical fiber is a difficult problem for scientists. <br /> <br />"The optical fiber is glass fiber, which is a very fragile thing. This is a challenge for us. If we don’t have the optical cables, it is like a telescope without optic nerves, or having broken optic nerves," said Zhu. <br /> <br />The cabin is home to a feed source which collects signals from the universe, Zhu added. <br /> <br />"We have a six-bar parallel robot which can respond very fast to the signal, and can reduce the positioning error to 10 millimeters," said Zhu.
