<p>Disclaimer: I made the linked video. I'm glad you found it, and I'm glad you liked it!</p>
<p>So some lessons that I learned from that project -- I tried to angle the &quot;legs&quot; of the chain (yarn) in order to help the desk feel more stable. This wound up not being ideal. So long as the angle of A (the short chain) is the same as the angle of B (the long chain), then the ratio of how much you need to add to A as you subtract from B (or vice-versa) remains 1:1.</p>
<p>However, as the height changes, then this angle changes, and the amount you need to add from one as you subtract to the other changes. You would either need to add a fancy cam system (to add the correct amount), add an auto-tensioner, or else keep them on entirely separate drives (such as a chain gear driven by a stepper motor) to keep the tension constant.</p>
<p>In my opinion, the best option is to simply keep the chains vertical, and then you can maintain a 1:1 ratio between the legs. This is by far the simplest.</p>
<p>I used a capstan in my design (thanks for the correction, @fred_dot_u) with a single length of &quot;chain&quot; (yarn) run between the three points, but this just as easily could have been done with a shaft between them. In my design, slippage is definitely a concern, but if you have enough turns around the capstan, then friction takes over and it's really not too bad.</p>
<p>I think it would also be possible to build a capstan with teeth on it, and use something like a bike chain. I think this might be the best option, especially since you don't actually need to go multiple laps around the capstan -- you could the way around.</p>
<p>So what options do you have for lengthening one chain while you shorten another?</p>
<ul>
<li>A capstan design (as in my prototype)</li>
<li>Stepper motors that drive in sync, and control with software (if this gets out of sync, then the table can fail catastrophically)</li>
<li>Bike-chain on a sprocket that functions similar to a capstan</li>
<li>Have two spools that are oppositely wound, and link them together with a shaft / gearing, so that one unspools while the other collects cable / chain, and vice-versa</li>
</ul>
<p>Those are the only options that I could think of. Ultimately, I think that using bike chain or the wire rope that @fred_dot_u suggested is really going to be the best option for something that's going to carry real weight.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-23T17:55:39.193Z
2024-09-23T17:55:39.193Z
HanClinto
<p>Seems like there could be many ways of approaching this somewhat complex design problem.</p>
<p>The simplest thing that comes to mind is having spools that are wound in one direction for the lifting wire(s) and the opposite direction for the tension wires all driven by one crankshaft. Then as one set of spools are taking up the other spools will release.</p>
<p>The question then is what is the ratio between the lifting and the tension wires as the table moves, is it 1:1 or some other relation? That would depend on the tensegrity design; how many pulleys between the spool and the anchored end. Changing the core size on the spools would be a way to control that.</p>
<p>Also keep in mind that the lifting wire and its armature is doing the work of four table legs and then some (to maintain the tension on the control wires). That is going to require some extra strength for those components.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-09-23T17:45:13.037Z
"The question then is what is the ratio between the lifting and the tension wires as the table moves, is it 1:1 or some other relation?"

Assuming that the chains are vertical, then the ratio is 1:1.

If the chains are slanted (as I made in my Lego + yarn prototype), then the ratios get funky, and there winds up being a variable ratio between the two legs. Would need cams to keep tension constant that way.
HanClinto
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-03-27T16:39:05.783Z
2024-03-27T16:39:05.783Z
rebusB
<p>That's an impressive prototype in the video.</p>
<p>The most important aspect of your table is to avoid a design which can be back-driven. To that end, consider a worm gear drive system.</p>
<p>The video creator calls the drive wheel by the term turnstile, but it's a capstan. Note that there's a solid axle connecting one side to the other. This is a good way to motorize your table without running into side-to-side synchronization problems.</p>
<p>A quick search presents a <a href="https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/B0CC26QCMQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" rel="nofollow noreferrer">wide variety of these motors</a>, including some with speed controllers, which would be pretty important for safety reasons.</p>
<p>The above link points to Amazon, image below:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/dOCI8.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/dOCI8.jpg" alt="worm gear motor" /></a></p>
<p>Amazon also carries <a href="https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/B07Z1M8MH3" rel="nofollow noreferrer" rel="nofollow noreferrer">stainless wire rope</a> with 368 pound breaking strength that would be flexible enough to match the design in the video. Using flexible wire rope would permit scaling without complications, in my opinion. Use large diameter pulleys to reduce metal fatigue. If you require additional strength, increase diameter of the wire rope and the diameter of the pulleys as well.</p>
<p>Image from linked site:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/acgVY.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/acgVY.jpg" alt="1/16&quot; wire rope" /></a></p>
<p>Note in the image below the cross section of the wire rope. More strands means more flexibility. If you upscale to 1/8&quot; diameter, aim for the highest strand count you can find.</p>
<p>I've used both diameters, the smaller for control cables of an ultralight aircraft, with the larger diameter used for internal wing frame bracing. For optimum strength, use cable thimbles at the attachment points and use appropriate swages and a swaging tool to secure the thimbles. The swages are the small items in the photo of the spool of cable. Tools are priced from under US$20 for the small hand held, wrench compressed  version, to hundreds of dollars for powered versions. Cable swaging tool and wire rope crimping tool are suitable search terms.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/HrbRb.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/HrbRb.jpg" alt="wire rope cross section" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-03-27T16:59:39.273Z
A hand crank with a ratchet such as those commonly found on boat trailers would take care of any backwards slippage without involving motors (and power supply, and control unit...)  But either way this doesn't answer the question.
rebusB
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-03-26T22:38:27.417Z
2024-03-26T22:38:27.417Z
fred_dot_u
<p>I'm interested in making a &quot;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tensegrity" rel="noreferrer">tensegrity</a>&quot; coffee table shaped like this:
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/Aad9w.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Aad9w.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a>
That is, two rigid (in my case wooden) frames connected by five prestressed tensioned cables (chains in the image) with a slab on top.</p>
<p>My question is how such a table could be made height-adjustable (manually with a hand crank or automatic, should that make things easier somehow). Naturally the range of height adjustment wouldn't be big, something like 30cm. Having increments (even just at the two extremes) would be fine.</p>
<p>I found this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9I1o1mCJhrw" rel="noreferrer">video of a Lego prototype</a> using roller wheels. Such a system of two loops of cables with roller wheels plus a hand crank reel is the only solution I can think of, though quite intricate and I'm unsure how well it would scale.</p>
<p>I'm interested in whether there are other parts or mechanisms that can be used to essentially lengthen or shorten tensioned cables synchronously (note that to raise the top part, the four cables in the corner need to lengthen while the one in the middle needs to shorten).</p>

<material-selection><technique-selection>
Making a tensegrity table height adjustable
Joe Bloe
# Making a tensegrity table height adjustable

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-03-26)

I'm interested in making a "[tensegrity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tensegrity)" coffee table shaped like this:
[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/Aad9w.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/Aad9w.jpg)
That is, two rigid (in my case wooden) frames connected by five prestressed tensioned cables (chains in the image) with a slab on top.

My question is how such a table could be made height-adjustable (manually with a hand crank or automatic, should that make things easier somehow). Naturally the range of height adjustment wouldn't be big, something like 30cm. Having increments (even just at the two extremes) would be fine.

I found this [video of a Lego prototype](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9I1o1mCJhrw) using roller wheels. Such a system of two loops of cables with roller wheels plus a hand crank reel is the only solution I can think of, though quite intricate and I'm unsure how well it would scale.

I'm interested in whether there are other parts or mechanisms that can be used to essentially lengthen or shorten tensioned cables synchronously (note that to raise the top part, the four cables in the corner need to lengthen while the one in the middle needs to shorten).

**Tags:** material-selection, technique-selection


---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2024-09-23. Score: 2

Disclaimer: I made the linked video. I'm glad you found it, and I'm glad you liked it!

So some lessons that I learned from that project -- I tried to angle the "legs" of the chain (yarn) in order to help the desk feel more stable. This wound up not being ideal. So long as the angle of A (the short chain) is the same as the angle of B (the long chain), then the ratio of how much you need to add to A as you subtract from B (or vice-versa) remains 1:1.

However, as the height changes, then this angle changes, and the amount you need to add from one as you subtract to the other changes. You would either need to add a fancy cam system (to add the correct amount), add an auto-tensioner, or else keep them on entirely separate drives (such as a chain gear driven by a stepper motor) to keep the tension constant.

In my opinion, the best option is to simply keep the chains vertical, and then you can maintain a 1:1 ratio between the legs. This is by far the simplest.

I used a capstan in my design (thanks for the correction, @fred\_dot\_u) with a single length of "chain" (yarn) run between the three points, but this just as easily could have been done with a shaft between them. In my design, slippage is definitely a concern, but if you have enough turns around the capstan, then friction takes over and it's really not too bad.

I think it would also be possible to build a capstan with teeth on it, and use something like a bike chain. I think this might be the best option, especially since you don't actually need to go multiple laps around the capstan -- you could the way around.

So what options do you have for lengthening one chain while you shorten another?

* A capstan design (as in my prototype)
* Stepper motors that drive in sync, and control with software (if this gets out of sync, then the table can fail catastrophically)
* Bike-chain on a sprocket that functions similar to a capstan
* Have two spools that are oppositely wound, and link them together with a shaft / gearing, so that one unspools while the other collects cable / chain, and vice-versa

Those are the only options that I could think of. Ultimately, I think that using bike chain or the wire rope that @fred\_dot\_u suggested is really going to be the best option for something that's going to carry real weight.


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2024-03-27. Score: 2

Seems like there could be many ways of approaching this somewhat complex design problem.

The simplest thing that comes to mind is having spools that are wound in one direction for the lifting wire(s) and the opposite direction for the tension wires all driven by one crankshaft. Then as one set of spools are taking up the other spools will release.

The question then is what is the ratio between the lifting and the tension wires as the table moves, is it 1:1 or some other relation? That would depend on the tensegrity design; how many pulleys between the spool and the anchored end. Changing the core size on the spools would be a way to control that.

Also keep in mind that the lifting wire and its armature is doing the work of four table legs and then some (to maintain the tension on the control wires). That is going to require some extra strength for those components.

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: "The question then is what is the ratio between the lifting and the tension wires as the table moves, is it 1:1 or some other relation?"  Assuming that the chains are vertical, then the ratio is 1:1.  If the chains are slanted (as I made in my Lego + yarn prototype), then the ratios get funky, and there winds up being a variable ratio between the two legs. Would need cams to keep tension constant that way.  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2024-03-26. Score: 0

That's an impressive prototype in the video.

The most important aspect of your table is to avoid a design which can be back-driven. To that end, consider a worm gear drive system.

The video creator calls the drive wheel by the term turnstile, but it's a capstan. Note that there's a solid axle connecting one side to the other. This is a good way to motorize your table without running into side-to-side synchronization problems.

A quick search presents a [wide variety of these motors](https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/B0CC26QCMQ), including some with speed controllers, which would be pretty important for safety reasons.

The above link points to Amazon, image below:

[![worm gear motor](https://i.sstatic.net/dOCI8.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/dOCI8.jpg)

Amazon also carries [stainless wire rope](https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/B07Z1M8MH3) with 368 pound breaking strength that would be flexible enough to match the design in the video. Using flexible wire rope would permit scaling without complications, in my opinion. Use large diameter pulleys to reduce metal fatigue. If you require additional strength, increase diameter of the wire rope and the diameter of the pulleys as well.

Image from linked site:

[![1/16](https://i.sstatic.net/acgVY.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/acgVY.jpg)

Note in the image below the cross section of the wire rope. More strands means more flexibility. If you upscale to 1/8" diameter, aim for the highest strand count you can find.

I've used both diameters, the smaller for control cables of an ultralight aircraft, with the larger diameter used for internal wing frame bracing. For optimum strength, use cable thimbles at the attachment points and use appropriate swages and a swaging tool to secure the thimbles. The swages are the small items in the photo of the spool of cable. Tools are priced from under US$20 for the small hand held, wrench compressed version, to hundreds of dollars for powered versions. Cable swaging tool and wire rope crimping tool are suitable search terms.

[![wire rope cross section](https://i.sstatic.net/HrbRb.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/HrbRb.jpg)

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: A hand crank with a ratchet such as those commonly found on boat trailers would take care of any backwards slippage without involving motors (and power supply, and control unit...)  But either way this doesn't answer the question.  

---

