PlaneWave Instruments: Bringing artistry and technology into focus
By Aj Brown
Since the dawn of existence, the sky has been studied, mapped and dreamed of by those on the ground. There’s an artistry to the colors and shapes that fill the horizon. For the team at PlaneWave Instruments in Adrian, the science and data needed to capture the universe is directly tied to that artistry and creativity.
“The creativity present in the arts makes better scientists in the long run,” said Chris Miller, special project consultant with PlaneWave. “Creativity helps them (scientists) solve really difficult problems.”
Merging new technology with old methods: While PlaneWave is on the cutting edge of telescope technology, that cutting edge is refined by centuries old methods such as using discs of tree sap to refine the surfaces of telescope mirrors. (photo by Aj Brown)
That creativity brings an openness to new ideas leading to the development of the Corrected Dall-Kirkham system, a revolutionary telescope concept allowing large format cameras to excel at imaging while providing unprecedented visual use for the operator. Due to their advancement in the science behind the telescopes, PlaneWave has worked with a host of national and international organizations, including NASA. A bit of Adrian-made technology will even help the Artemis spacecraft communicate when the first woman and first person of color land on the moon. The company and its PW1000 Observatory System was also recognized as the Coolest Thing Made in Michigan in 2022 by the Michigan Manufacturers Association.
Miller explained that while the science behind astrophotography and telescope creation can be complex and data driven, an artistic approach is often needed to tackle problem solving and developing new innovations. Recognizing that connection between the arts and science, PlaneWave is transforming their 57 acre campus into a haven of creativity and artistry. The site of a former girls training school, a prison for girls who committed serious crimes, now houses the Adrian Center for the Arts and the Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute. PlaneWave has also partnered with the River Raisin Ragtime Revue to convert the historic campus chapel (built in 1879) into a community performing arts center. The center, named Haviland Hall after Laura Smith Haviland, an abolitionist who helped found the school previously on the campus, will be used for a multitude of events and community based ventures.
“She (Haviland) started the first school in Michigan to accept Black students; was a friend and colleague of Sojourner Truth; and spoke beside Frederick Douglas at the Chicago World’s Fair, where she was named the “Mother of Philanthropy.” An important figure in the Underground Railroad, Haviland helped free many slaves,” reads the Raisin River Ragtime Revue website. “Her impact was so significant that a Southern slave owner offered a $3,000 bounty for Haviland to be kidnapped or murdered — the equivalent of $100,000 today. In recognition of Laura Smith Haviland’s work, we are christening the new performance venue Haviland Hall. We feel privileged to continue our work in a place associated with Haviland’s legacy.”
PlaneWave is committed to seeing each organization on its campus thrive and have donated their first year of rent back to the organizations to ensure sustainability and growth. That dedication to success for the organizations can only strengthen the core beliefs and mission of PlaneWave.
“We have a strong commitment to the arts, we firmly believe that’s as important as making the best telescopes in the world,” said Miller.
PlaneWave will also be converting one of the buildings on campus into an observatory featuring a 1.5 meter telescope, one of the largest in the nation, giving the community the chance to not only discover the technology of PlaneWave but also the artistry of the universe. With so many partnerships and projects in the works, PlaneWave has also managed to triple their workforce and double their output in just a few short years since moving the business to Michigan. The campus, once owned by the state and sold to the city of Adrian has proved to be the perfect incubator for the business and its endeavors. Miller, who formerly served as the economic developer for the city, said the owners had an immediate connection with the location and have continued to revel in the community, the people and the unlimited potential that seems to flow from the region.
“You always hope for something really amazing but candidly, I don’t think it was possible to envision this, that we could bring a company like this, that they would be as committed to the community, that they would be as well-rounded as they are, that they would support the arts like they do,” said Miller. “We had some really cool plans for the campus. There were a number of times that I think we had something that would have been really neat and really remarkable but I don’t think it would have approached the uniqueness, the coolness, the remarkable thing that this will be.”
