DESIGN, FABRICATION AND ANALYSIS OF A NOVEL TWO-STAGE CLASS-TWO METAL TENSEGRITY STRUCTURE.

Abstract

Tensegrity structures are widely recognized for their advantages across diverse fields such as robotics, structural engineering, and aesthetics. This thesis endeavors to design and construct a novel two-stage class-two metal tensegrity structure featuring three compressive elements or bars, with an outline of the design improvements to the previous prototype and assembly process. Following assembly, the structure underwent various testing using the Polytec Laser Vibrometer to assess parameters including nodal coordinates and tension. Subsequently, the findings obtained were utilized as inputs for conducting the nodal analysis using MATLAB. This analysis aimed to determine the structure's mode shapes and corresponding natural frequencies within a constrained framework using two different form finding methods. With its inherent structural stability and symmetry, the assembled tensegrity structure serves as a valuable platform for further exploration and study of tensegrity parameters.