Class-K Cylindrically Closed Cluster Tensegrity Simulation
KC3 Tensegrity Sim is a simulation tool that can model tensegrity structures with complex connections and curved shapes, enabling more efficient design of systems like soft robots and wearable devices.
KC3 Tensegrity Sim
The developed simulation tool extends tensegrity analysis by integrating three key capabilities—Class-k topology handling, cluster cable modeling, and 2.5D surface-constrained structures—into a unified framework. First, the solver supports general Class-k tensegrity systems, allowing multiple compressive members to connect at a node, thereby increasing the range of geometries and structural interactions that can be analyzed. Second, it incorporates cluster tensegrity behavior by enabling continuous cables to pass through multiple nodes, reducing actuator requirements while maintaining controllability in large or distributed systems. Finally, the simulation introduces a 2.5D formulation, in which planar tensegrity cells are mapped onto curved three-dimensional surfaces, allowing structures such as wearable devices to be modeled with reduced computational complexity while preserving geometric constraints. Together, these features enable the solver to address applications that are not well supported by existing tools, particularly those involving complex connectivity, actuator-efficient control strategies, and surface-wrapping configurations.