Shape Control of Tensegrity Plates: An Experimental Study

Tensegrity is a special class of tension-trusses. Strings play an important role in the deployment and shape changing of these structures. A simple class-1 tensegrity unit consists of 3 bars and 9 strings. This unit can be arranged to form a tower or a flat plate. With the integration of sensors and actuators, the tower and plate can be a smart structure. In this paper, we demonstrate the shape changing of a 7-unit tensegrity structure from a flat plate to a parabolic dish by controlling the length of strings in each unit. This provides a feasible structure for a next generation shape changing antenna and space telescope.