Compact Motorized Telescope Mount Design

About the project

I’m looking for a mechanical designer to help simplify and develop the concept of a compact motorized polar-alignment platform for an astronomical telescope mount. The reference is the Avalon Instruments UPAS: https://www.avalon-instruments.it/product/universal-polar-alignment-system/ I already have preliminary FreeCAD models and calculations. This first project focuses on mechanism selection and concept CAD, with detailed manufacturing engineering to follow as a separate project. Requirements - Compact form factor, approximately 179 × 179 × 158 mm. - Target supported equipment mass: 35–40 kg total. - Fine ALT and AZ adjustment, approximately ±6°. - Motorized operation and manual knobs usable when powered off, without disengaging clutches or releasing locks. - ALT motor attached to the moving top plate. - Simple construction, low component cost and suitability for future CNC manufacturing. - Prefer standard motors, bearings, screws and gears wherever practical. Deliverables for this first phase 1. Review the supplied CAD and reference material. 2. Propose a simple ALT/AZ mechanism and explain how it works. 3. Provide preliminary load and motor-torque estimates, with assumptions clearly stated. 4. Create an assembled 3D concept showing travel and clearances. 5. Deliver editable CAD, preferably FreeCAD compatible, and STEP files. 6. List the main proposed components and remaining engineering issues. 7. Include one revision following feedback. Complete structural validation, electronics, firmware and physical prototyping are outside this initial scope. Please explain your estimated timeframe, and show one relevant mechanical design example. Practical simplicity and clear engineering reasoning are more important than polished renderings. AI usage disclosure needed also when answering to the post

Skills required