Abstract
This study discusses the development of tensegrity structure.This structure is composed of compressive members like aluminum pipes and tensile members like strings.The members connected to the joints can rotate freely.Thus each member is influenced only by simple axial forces.As a result,it has some advantages including high specific strength and deformability.Nonetheless it has been hardly applied to practical use in industrial fields for some reasons such as difficulty in assembly.We have explored the possibility of its application to the wing structure of airplanes.To begin with,we designed and produced a model of this structure for experiments.This process taught us how to design and assemble such a structure.Using this experimental model,we confirmed the properties of the structure of this kind.For instance,we measured the deformation ratio of the compressive members when the entire wing structure is cantilevered.The results show that this system is effective for designing lightweight systems.
