Prototype of a Tensegrity Robot with Nine Wires for Switching Locomotion and Calculation Method of the Balancing Internal Force

Abstract

The tensegrity robot consisting of rigid rods and flexible wires can vary its shape by changing rod- or wire-lengths or both. This paper presents a prototype tensegrity, which can vary its shape to switch between two types of locomotion (rolling and gain). The prototype possesses three rods and nine wires, and can change shape by changing the wire-lengths. In this paper, the aspect of the prototype is introduced, and its experimental result obtained using a basic PD controller is demonstrated. Furthermore, a calculation method for balancing internal forces among wires is proposed.