Mapping the Main Injector

When Fermilab scientists want a close-up look at the Main Injector and the Antiproton Recycler, for repair, maintenance, or a quick inspection, theyíll soon be able to click on a digital video available on a server or CD. Visual Media Services recently spent several days circling the two-mile tunnel with a specially-equipped video camera on a modified filming dolly, compiling an "e-documentation" for each machine. At completion, the project will provide an electronic image of each machine at 6-inch increments. An operator or scientist will be able to view an individual magnet string or a complete tunnel sector within seconds, all with real-life details beyond the design drawings. Engineers Lucy Nobrega and Jerry Leibfritz of the Beams Division requested and sponsored this project after seeing the Antiproton Source electronic documentation completed by Visual Media Services several years ago. Nobrega feels "a real, searchable selection of images of the machine is extremely valuable for our mechanical group."