Project Summary
Tensegrity structures are passively compliant structures, which are composed of compression elements suspended within a network of tension elements.
Tensegrity robots feature a flexible design that counteracts the shortcomings of rigid structures, such as those found in traditional robots.
The composition of rods and cables within a tensegrity structure creates a uniquely robust, light-weight, and deployable structure. Also, with no rigid connections, tensegrity structures embody a flexibility that can be used to design robots with more degrees of freedom where needed.
Our proposed solution is a tensegrity model of the human arm, including the basic controls to test the motion of the arm and its vulnerabilities through simulation. Given the initial conditions and the coordinates of all the joints and bone ends, we were able to test and optimize the design of the arm.
Responsibilities:
- Research on existing related work
- Designing a new tensegrity arm model based on Graham Scarr’s initial tensegrity model of an elbow.
- Implementing the feedback control specifications of a human arm and simulating the model in NTRT
Skills Required: C++, NTRT, Feedback Control, Mechanical Engineering, Tensegrity Structures.
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