Moveable Mass Tensegrity Skip to main content
Mechanical Engineering
SMASH Lab
Smart Materials and Shock Lab

Moveable Mass Tensegrity

Research in the control and locomotion of an icosahedral tensegrity system using movable masses. We use an accelerometer in conjunction with leveraging geometrical knowledge of the icosahedral tensegrity system to localize the system after it moves.

The central projection is to create and control an icosahedral tensegrity robot using movable masses which move up and down the bars. Researchers modified existing code “Modeling of Tensegrity Structures” (MOTES) to work in Python and adapted it for use in estimating the required force at the nodes to cause a roll in the structure. These estimations were verified with masses hung at the nodes and this information was used to create a movable mass tensegrity robot. This robot was then compared to computer simulations in its rolling characteristics.

Methods for localization were implemented to estimate rolls from an origin point to a desired position. These were verified with the robot.

Robot

The physical robot was made using aluminum bars, steel wire, and custom rolling masses. The bars were modified with grooves to reduce weight of the system and increase grip for the carriage wheels. The model was assembled with steel wires threaded at the ends and tensioned using miniature custom U-bolts. Each carriage was cast out of aluminum and made to fit around the bars with 2 guiding wheels and one powered by a geared DC motor. The weights were controlled via a wired controller with motor and direction selection capabilities.

MOTES

Acronym for Modeling of Tensegrity Structures, code originally designed by NASA to solve for the state of n-bar tensegrity structures. In this project this software was adapted for use in Python and tweaked for this specific application. These modifications involved allowed for the solving of tensegrity structures without the need for a pinned node. MOTES solves for the state of any n-bar and n-string tensegrity model including dynamics of he system.