Max Robotics — Global Service Robot Directory + US Certification

About

Donald Harkins is an instrumental figure in astronomical instrumentation, specializing in fiber-optic systems for large-scale spectroscopic surveys. His key research areas encompass the design, deployment, and maintenance of high-fiber-count connectors critical for modern observatories. Harkins’s major contribution lies in his hands-on work with the APOGEE spectrograph at Apache Point Observatory, where he led the field retermination of MTP fiber connectors for the Sloan Digital Sky Survey V (SDSS-V). His 2022 paper on this process, though modestly cited with 3 citations, provides invaluable lessons-learned and wear-analysis of removed connectors, documenting the throughput improvements achieved with newly terminated fibers. This work ensures the longevity and performance of a key survey mapping the Milky Way. Harkins’s expertise in practical fiber-optic engineering—from troubleshooting in harsh field conditions to optimizing signal transmission—underscores his role in maintaining the backbone of multi-object spectroscopy. His achievements highlight the often-unseen but critical technical work that enables groundbreaking astronomical discoveries, making him a vital contributor to the infrastructure of modern astrophysics.