Day 13: (Tue Feb 25, Week 7) Tensegrity Structure Workshop

Notes for 2025-02-25.

New Assignments

New assignment, due Thursday: each tentative project pair should produce a single high-quality image representing their project. This image should be suitable to be used as part of the overall show proposal. Please submit to Exercise 8 Shared Folder.

Agenda

1. Discuss the next assignment.

2. Introduce a few basic tensegrity forms and discuss the balance of forces.

3. Everyone individually attempt the forms using the sticks and rubber bands.

4. Form larger groups and attempt mid-scale forms using the poles and elastic.

5. Please document results and post images to Exercise 7 Shared Folder.

6. Time permitting: attempt full-scale forms using the bamboo and cord.

7. Please return extra rubber bands to correct pile by size.

References

An excellent visual guide to Kenneth Snelson’s tensegrity sculptures is available via the artist’s web site:

• http://kennethsnelson.net/

• http://kennethsnelson.net/KennethSnelson_Art_And_Ideas.pdf

• cached here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ICuMbtohqikcWLEf2OdRUDvtX8peUVmv/view?usp=sharing

The figures below are from [R9] A. Pugh, An introduction to tensegrity, Reprint 2020. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2020. Originally published 1976.

The full book is available in chapters here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1uRu9X5ON_IF-8iOYt5C9PrOq59yGicyu?usp=sharing

Selected figures are excerpted here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Aib5olvb1qERYy6IrtCcGD3QcEU6toa6?usp=sharing

Creating a larger tensegrity form using the bamboo poles and cord will require tying knots around the pole which do not slip. The following guides may help:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pipe_hitch

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prusik

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klemheist_knot

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling_hitch