A Numerical Method for Simulating Nonlinear Mechanical Responses of Tensegrity Structures Under Large Deformations

Abstract

An efficient numerical method is developed to analyze the mechanical responses of tensegrity structures subjected to various actuations that lead to large and highly nonlinear (e.g., hardening or softening) deformations. The proposed method, whose accuracy and efficacy are demonstrated through a number of representative examples, holds promise for applications in design, analysis, and safety evaluations of large-scale tensegrity structures.