Narrow Results

The general problem of the stability of tensegrity structures comprising struts and cables is formulated. It is conjectured that any tensegrity system with totally tensioned cables is stable independently of its topology, geometry and specific magnitudes of member forces.

Stress control is a major issue in the development of prestressed structures like the tensegrity systems that gain from it equilibrium and stability. In this paper, we present a simple method for adjusting the whole set of normal forces in this kind of structure, based on a combination of influences determined from the unit variations of rest lengths for a reduced set of active cables. According to an elementary criterion, tension and compression forces are kept in a reduced domain during the implementation stage in order to avoid unwanted transitory stress levels. The process is then simulated to retrieve the modifications for actual lengths that are to be implemented in the correct order. Finally, we describe the application of this method on a 1:1 scale double layer tensegrity grid.

The commonly accepted "tower of blocks" model for vertebrate spine mechanics is only useful when modeling a perfectly balanced, upright, immobile spine. Using that model, in any other position than perfectly upright, the forces generated will tear muscle, crush bone and exhaust energy. A new model of the spine uses a tensegrity-truss system that will model the spine right side up, upside-down or in any position, static or dynamic. In a tensegrity-truss model, the loads distribute through the system only in tension or compression. As in all truss systems, there are no levers and no moments at the joints. The model behaves non-linearly and is energy efficient. Unlike a tower of blocks, it is independent of gravity and functions equally well on land, at sea, in the air or in space and models the spines of fish and fowl, bird and beast.

In this paper, the main concepts and the preliminary results related to a new approach for creating innovative green laboratory experiences in applied science and technology will be discussed. The term ebatronics is here introduced for the first time in the literature to indicate a kind of experimental laboratory based on the conjunction of wooden recycled materials and microcontroller based devices. In particular, tensegrity based systems are presented. A gallery of prototypes developed by the authors is shown. An intense set of photos will illustrate the real effectiveness of the proposed laboratory project.

This paper traces the beginnings of structural virology, from the early 1950's to the presentation of the Caspar-Klug theory of virus structure in 1962. It focuses primarily on the virus research of Francis Crick, James Watson, Rosalind Franklin, Aaron Klug, and Donald Caspar. Collaborative efforts in X-ray crystallography and electron microscopy in combination with intellectual triggers from the Art world provided the soil from which the early theories of virus structure grew and matured.

In this paper, we propose that a deformable robot with a tensegrity structure can crawl and describe its performance in practical experiments and a gait description. We apply Miller index in crystallography to describe the gait of a prototype, and then classify two contact conditions of the prototype. We demonstrate rolling of a six-strut tensegrity to confirm the movement of the prototype from each contact condition.

This paper represents rolling of a deformable polyhedral robot with a tensegrity structure. In this paper, we make a prototype of a tensegrity locomotion robot, which corresponds with the right-handed snub cube. We show that a moving strategy of tensegrity locomotion robots using the body deformation depends on the structure itself through analyses of the gravitational potential energy. In the snub cube, the gravitational potential energy at four-point contact is smaller than one at three-point contact, which results in moving directionality.