  We describe KAPAO, our project to develop and deploy a low-cost,
remote-access, natural guide star adaptive optics (AO) system for the Pomona
College Table Mountain Observatory (TMO) 1-meter telescope. We use a
commercially available 140-actuator BMC MEMS deformable mirror and a version of
the Robo-AO control software developed by Caltech and IUCAA. We have structured
our development around the rapid building and testing of a prototype system,
KAPAO-Alpha, while simultaneously designing our more capable final system,
KAPAO-Prime. The main differences between these systems are the prototype's
reliance on off-the-shelf optics and a single visible-light science camera
versus the final design's improved throughput and capabilities due to the use
of custom optics and dual-band, visible and near-infrared imaging. In this
paper, we present the instrument design and on-sky closed-loop testing of
KAPAO-Alpha as well as our plans for KAPAO-Prime. The primarily
undergraduate-education nature of our partner institutions, both public (Sonoma
State University) and private (Pomona and Harvey Mudd Colleges), has enabled us
to engage physics, astronomy, and engineering undergraduates in all phases of
this project. This material is based upon work supported by the National
Science Foundation under Grant No. 0960343.
