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Tensegrity Systems discusses analytical tools to design energy efficient and lightweight structures employing the concept of "tensegrity." This word is Buckminister Fuller's contraction of the words "Tensile" and "Integrity," which suggests that integrity or, as we would say, stability of the structure comes from tension. In a tensegrity structure the rigid bodies (the bars) might not have any contact, thus providing extraordinary freedom to control shape, by controlling only tendons. This book will provide both static and dynamic analysis of special tensegrity structural concepts, which are motivated by biological material architecture. This will be the first book written to attempt to integrate structure and control design. All other books on structure design and books on control design assume these are independent topics, but performance can be greatly improved if the dynamics of the structure and the dynamics of the controls are coordinated to reduce the control efforts required to accomplish the system performance requirements.
Summary
In a tensegrity structure, the rigid bodies (i.e., the bars) might not have any contact, thus providing extraordinary freedom to control shape by controlling only tendons. This book discusses analytical tools for designing energy efficient and lightweight structures that embody the concept of tensegrity. It provides both static and dynamic analysis of special tensegrity structural concepts, which are motivated by biological material architecture. It is the first book that integrates structure and control design; other books on structure and control design assume that these are independent topics. Readers discover important benefits and applications of tensegrity systems in deployable solar arrays, large mirrors and antennas, wings without hinges, robotic systems without joints, and string lightweight columns, walls, bridges, and buildings.
