Introduction: Alveolate Tensegrity at Burning Mankin

For Burning Man 2022, we built a 20 foot tall tensegrity structure to symbolize a cell. Intention is an immersive and interactional tensegrity structure representing the biomechanics of a weak cell that treads the intersections of art, applied science, and science. And it is begging to be climbed.

Tensegrities are wonders of art and engineering that are held conjointly entirely by tenseness and compression. They are antiphonal while maintaining tremendous structural integrity. We are tensegrities ourselves, built from clappers held in compression by tensioned muscles and tendons.

Even as in nature, tensegrities fully utilize all materials, capitalizing on perverse space and maximising efficiency; on that point is none waste. Intention explores the fundamental building blocks of our bodies by allowing the player to search the responsive computer architecture of tensegrity.

Step 1: Da Vinci's Nexorades

The theme for Burning Serviceman 2022 was DaVinci's workshop. Coincidentally, Da Vinci's sketches of a reciprocating bridge were some of the first known illustrations of nexorades, the progenitors of tensegrity structures.The outward trounce geometry echoes Da Vinci's Delaware Divina Proportione, and defines the boundary of the cell.

Step 2: Donald Ingber's Tensegrity Cell Body structure

When conceptualizing, we discovered that the principles of tensegrity apply down to the living thing level. Donald Ingber discovered the connection betwixt mobile phone construction and tensegrities. Cells contain a highly convoluted net of tensioned filaments and compressed microtubules that kind eukaryotic cytoskeletal building. Large struts represent microtubules, and ropes representing filaments that carry balance forces in the cytoskeleton.

Stair 3: Scope & Schedule Considerations

Artistic vision must be reconciled with budget, gang, and schedule constraints. Realistically, a BM project typically goes from concept to slaying in low 6 months connected a shoelace budget during the evenings after work. It's not uncommon to see part finished projects tabu there so it's critical to assess the scope and figure out what's realistic.

Knowing this, we kept IT as simple Eastern Samoa conceivable. We picked the form that occupies the most volume for the least complexity; the six bar icosahedron. It's something we've famous how to build up for 2 long time, so the knew that the main trick would be applied science it for safety and dealings with 20+ foot long struts with limited equipment.

Information technology was a great experience to drive the schedule reported to the gantt chart we reinforced (attached), and it was fun to take in it germinate finished time. The inalterable timeline around followed what was outlined.

Step 4: Grant From Burning Gentleman's gentleman and Crowdfunding Campaign

Deed over From Burning Man:

This see was made accomplishable away a grant from the Burning Man Establishment. Since we built from last year's tensegrity project, Chirality, we had a previously established kinship, and were ready to apply for a more formal grant. The grant application is a competitive cognitive operation that requires the following:

  • Letter of intent
  • Grant application
  • Ulysses Simpson Grant award (Contract review & sign)
  • Fiscal Sponsorship (operating room you fetch the grant taxed Eastern Samoa income. We operated under the support of the pleasing Flux Foundation, our big art mentors and teachers)
  • Diarrheic updates and communications from their team

Crowdfunding Campaign:

The grant typically does not natural covering the full costs of the project, and then we learned a lot about building a crowdfunding campaign. Not surprisingly, IT took more energy than we expected. Thanks to Rachel Ciaverella's hard work, we launched an Indiegogo campaign that prevented U.S. from landing in the red.

Step 5: Your Crew Moldiness Be the Finest

This is why we all give up our summers and build big art together. Various of us came from last year's crew, but many new members started out as acquaintances and terminated sprouted enveloping friends. What formed will last cold longer than the sculpture itself, and it was humbling to witness the energy and hard work that came from this crew:

  • Katherine Barton
  • Jack Kalish
  • Rachel Ciavarella
  • Johann Karkheck
  • Ken Caluwaerts
  • Michael Probber
  • Sebrand Robert Penn Warren
  • Rory Heim
  • Lane Mary Flannery O'Connor
  • Jamie Trowbridge
  • Matt Davenport
  • Harrison Netherlands
  • Shay Munroe
  • Tobey Wilbur
  • Rachel Rhodes
  • Shelby Joe Clark
  • Katie McClung
  • Will James Buchanan

Dance step 6: Jumpsuits

Stagger is a really world-shaking part of whatever undertaking, as it helps bring the team together. And jumpsuits are a lot better than stickers. Information technology was and so amazing to see the crew running around in matching jumpsuits with cool customs logos stitched on! Logos were designed by Sebrand and Rachel, and ready-made a twain of dickies coveralls sing. They Crataegus laevigata non have been the best appointment or thermally efficient abandon workwear, but they sure were entertaining.

Step 7: Maquettes &adenosine monophosphate; Formfinding

We assembled a maquette exploitation the tensegritoy and some twine. Here you see a one-on-one axis betwixt diametric angular faces, loosely resembling a DNA helix. Arsenic you look from the top, there's a beautiful here and now of symmetry that lets you stare done the heart and soul.

Step 8: Prototype Construction

Afterward determining on a final shape, we built a 1/7 scale model to better understand the construction technique. The pattern was designed with the utmost safe working summit first and foremost. Paracord was threaded through holes trained into the struts.

Step 9: Design

Our engineering science squad had many whiteboard sessions to judge concepts. We iteratively arrived at a satisfactory design that provided as much redundancy/safety as realistic, with the fewest steps.

Step 10: Simulation

One of our team up members, Ken Caluawerts, was a key contributor to the NASA Tensegrity Robotics Toolkit, so we spent roughly time to melt a pretense with their custom software to try and optimize the structure. The captive was to optimise the components based happening the simulation results, but we found a bug in the software, so distinct to take a bottom-up approach when sizing the components. This is an area of forthcoming interest and potential collaborations.

Step 11: Engineering

Tensegrities provide unique engineering challenges and therefore required some straightforward calculations to size every component. The caper in engineering is juggling constraints: getting the optimal mixing of cost/burden/safety/schedule, which was done in excel. The following calculations were run and used in determinant the final components:

Struts:

  • Kinetic & static loading
  • Euler buckling
  • Crooked present moment & emphasize: point load, rationed load

Tackle:

  • Factor Of Safety
  • Spring constant
  • Elastic & constructional stretchability
  • Thermal expansion
  • Routing efficiency &A; cable deration

Step 12: Karyon Concept

Afterward evaluating many nucleus designs, we chose a nucleus shape that represents the geometric genome of the tensegrity social system, with copulative filaments tracing the transmutation from the inherent shape to tensegrity.

To each one midpoint of the edge of the tetrahedron connects to the midpoint of each tittup, which is how a tensegrity is generated. We explored lengthwise lights nested inside acrylic tubes running along the suspension cables, but decided not to bestowed mounting concerns. The decision turned bent on make up a good one, as those ropes were commonly used as a treat.

Step 13: Nucleus Design &adenosine monophosphate; Bod Fabrication

The nucleus was designed by Johann Karkheck. It consisted of a metallic element tetrahedron frame weldment with the electronics nested inside. We started taboo doing it in aluminum just found that TIG was beyond our skill level and metre for so much thin walls, so made IT out of EMT conduit. Johann designed a paper clean that wrapped around to commence a good fitment on the corners.

Step 14: Lighting the Nucleus

The nucleus squad was headed by Jack Kalish with mogul electronics by Sight Caluawerts and programming from Michael Probber.

Erst the frame was welded together, it was clock to cut & attach the acrylic faces. We used a extra plastic James Mill bite and rivets. The subframe was made from dowels and 3D written corner caps, with the electronics enclosed. Once the electronics were tested, we wrapped the subframe with LEDs and suspended it inside of the frame.

Pace 15: Cell Signal Transduction & Alight Effects

The lights were configured to look siamese to cell signaling transduction.

Here's what it looked like along the playa:

Whole tone 16: Fiction

Once the tubes arrived, IT was time to fabricate the struts. Since all holes were CNC cut, it required lots of prep work and welding to get the rings welded in.

Since there were 120 rings to weld, this conferred a perfect chance to hand volunteers a chance to practice their welding.

Step 17: Rigging

This held it entirely together (literally), so on that point was zero room for error. When you have people climbing your structure, it's indispensable to use industry standards and build redundance into everything. Sessile are some resources that were used.

Note: Please consult an technologist with tackle experience if you are expiration to attempt a climbable tensegrity undertaking.

Footmark 18: Test Assembly

When assembling 20 foot struts, everything gets a little harder. IT was critical to get the right field layout since all pole angle about 100 lbs. Wire routing was a bit tricky as well, since it starts to look the same when you'Re dealing with hundred of feet of the stuff.

It went together well enough for a first attempt, but it was necessary to redo the rigging with a new length scheme. Although information technology had worked out for smaller models until now, it turns out that routing the lengths according to the nodal distances wasn't the correct approach for this shell. The whole structure was a bit loose, and we had to redo the rigging to compensate for its routing path over the end caps. Overall we held a tolerance of 1/8" throughout, which worked well.

Step 19: How to Overload Your Pok

After some minor overloading fiascos, we shed some weight and made IT out there without a hitch (pun intended). The trailer used was a gravy boat trailer and the struts formed the base which everything piled onto.

Step 20: Placement

After check-in, Art Support Services takes you to your placed locating past way of GPS. Pretty clean to know that your localisation is marked with Compact disk and pink tassles, encircled by desert.

Step 21: Solar energy

The solar design was led by Jamie Trowbridge, and was designed for deuce days runtime at level bes power. This gave us a good factor of safety given the constant need to wipe the panels from dust. Towards the endof the event we disclosed that low pitch panels create a dust vortex that traps wholly sorts of debris from the playa. It totally occupied underneath with dust deposited from windstorms.

The batteries and charge controllers lived in a lockable box that likewise restrained brains of the sculpture.

Step 22: Bod It

Hard-on was beautiful straightforward. We lifted the poles partially to aid in assembly.

Step 23: Stay Assuredness

Wait away the heat of the twenty-four hour period, and take regular breaks. Drink lots of cold things.

Tone 24: Fles Recently

That night we hung the nucleus and hooked up the electronics. It provided significant satisfaction past firing off it up for the first clock time and sighted information technology all wreak.

Step 25: Sleep on that

Extraordinary of the best parts about build hebdomad is that you can camp along the open playa before the chaos ensues. Five of us put hammocks functioning and napped in it overnight. We were lightly rocked to sopor until a refreshing visitor came by, or the cold set in.

Step 26: Play on It

The amenable architecture is the center concept of the piece; watch as we play:

Stair 27: Play Elsewhere

In one case the tack is ended, it's clip to travel to Burning Man. We had an amazing time venturing prohibited as a radical.

Step 28: Why No Ropes?

You're probably speculative wherefore we didn't admit the ropes. We made a supported flute system by accident. Anytime the wind blew it sounded like a symphony of bottles in the wind, at a chest rhythmic resonance.

During physique, we unbroken wondering what that loud noise was, and fictive information technology was from another graphics piece. To our surprise, someone called Mustang from Art Support Services needlelike out that it was us.

We decided to not put the ropes in because we liked it so so much. Partly from embracing the discovery, but also for safety considerations. If we put over Sir Thomas More handholds on the assemble, injuries could occur from unskilled climbers.

Step 29: Help Your Friends

An noteworthy step. Our friend Taylor and his crew were still working on their piece Enunciation, a parametric social system designed in Grasshopper. We made sure to drop by and assist them in the little slipway we could; tools, hot gluing, cable husking, caffein, and brillo pad scrubbing. It's a rewarding split of the journey and ensures you stay connected with the bigger community of artists doing challenging things in the desert.

Step 30: Sunset Art Reception

We gathered at sunset to lionise the windup of the piece, and invited our friends. It was a magical moment.

Step 31: Strike & Cleanup

The sculpture went down without a hitch. Leave Nary Tracing is in full effect here, cut down to the stray human hairs that caught in our star panel dust trap.

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