An analysis for the design of self-deployable tensegrity and reinforced tensegrity prisms with elastic ties

摘要

A minimum potential energy configuration is determined for each self-deployable tensegrity prism with elastic ties. It is shown that the relative angle of rotation between the upper and lower platforms of each prism is identical to Kenner's result for tensegrity prisms with inelastic ties. These results are extended to include reinforced prisms with elastic ties, and yields that reinforced tensegrity structures can exist for a range of relative rotation angle. Here, only one class of reinforced structure is considered and the minimum rotation angle value is α= 90°-180° where n = number of struts, and the maximum value is 90°, regardless of n. This is an extension of a result of Gabriel, which was quoted without proof. This study of reinforced tensegrity structures is the primary contribution of this article.