  While the ultimate goal is to produce a tensegrity more than 6 struts, e.g. a
15-bar tensegrity, past experience has demonstrated that we must first develop
an innovative system that will facilitate the assembly of a general n-bar
tensegrity. To be successful, we believe the development of the new assembly
methodology must encompass not only the design of the clamping system but also
the design of the tensegrity itself, including the struts, the springs and the
spring-to-strut connectors. We therefore propose to develop the 15-bar in two
phases: Phase I will be the development of an innovative assembly method, and
Phase II will focus on the design and manufacture of a 15-bar tensegrity, with
a new strut design probably being part of this. Longer term goals will be aimed
at repackaging the wireless electronics on the new struts and adding encoders
to control the phase of the motors shafts.
