After a long time coming, I finally decided to continue my research on actuated tensegrity systems. I had already created a fully rigged tensegrity module whose compression member's rotation was driven by the distance from the apex of the system to the midpoint. This distance was wired to a slider in the 3D Max file, so the user can easily drive the system by the use of one simple device. However, to complicate matters a little bit, I decided it would be more interesting to rig these modules up into a system, or a wall type structure where all the modules were connected and thus getting more displacement out of the design. Through a little more math and a lot more time, I was able to create a 4x4 wall system that is fully controlled by the same slider that controls the vertical movement of an actuator inserted in the middle of each module (which would ultimately control the distance from the apex to the midpoint). This system could be configured to work with a sensor so that the structure could change shape according to various environmental stimuli.
Download Tensegrity Wall.zip
Note: This software and its documents are in the public domain and are furnished "as is". The author, Andrew Payne, makes no warranty, expressed or implied, as to the usefulness of the software and documentation for any purpose. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/us/