Abstract
Tensegrity prisms are three-dimensional self-stressing cable systems with a relatively small number of disjoint compression members. Invented by Buckminster Fuller, they form novel structural geometries and constitute a class of mechanisms that have not been previously studied in depth. They have a number of seemingly advantageous properties — they are self-erecting, in that tensioning the final cable transforms them from a compact group of members into a large three-dimensional volume, and they are predominately tension systems. However, they have a number of properties that make them seemingly inappropriate for use — they are not conventionally rigid, they exist only under specific conditions of geometry with a corresponding prestress state, and when they exist the governing equations include singular (non-invertible) matrices. The mathematics of tensegrity geometry, statics, and kinematics have not been fully formulated, and such mathematical results must be developed and assembled before applications can be undertaken. This paper describes the physical behavior of a basic family of tensegrity prisms, presents the most useful available mathematical results, and outlines observations from an experimental study.