A Multimodal Self-Propelling Tensegrity Structure

Abstract

Tensegrity structure is composed of tensile cables and compressive rods, offering high stiffness-to-mass ratio, deploy ability, and excellent energy damping capability. The active and dynamic tensegrity designs demonstrate great potential for soft robots. In previous designs, the movement has relied on carefully controlled input power or manually controlled light irradiation, limiting their potential applications. Here, a hybrid tensegrity structure (HTS) is constructed by integrating thermally responsive cables, nonresponsive cables, and stiff rods. The HTS can self-propel continuously on a hot surface due to its unique geometry. The HTS allows for the easy achievement of multimodal self-propelled locomotive modes, which has been challenging for previously demonstrated self-propelling structures. Additionally, using Velcro tapes to adhere the rods and cables together, a modulable and reassemblable HTS is created. The HTS introduced in this study presents a new strategy and offers a large design space for constructing self-propelling and modulable robots.

Keywords: hybrid tensegrity structures; liquid crystal elastomers; multiple locomotive modes; self‐propelling motions.