Node-based genetic form-finding of irregular tensegrity structures

A novel and versatile numerical technique to solve a self-stress equilibrium state is developed and used in a combination with a genetic algorithm as a form-finding procedure for an irregular tensegrity structure. An innovative direct encoding scheme of a tensegrity structure is proposed by using the connectivity matrix and prototype tension coefficient vector as the source of genes. The proposed method uses the least design variable, i.e. only the number of nodes needed to find a configuration of an irregular tensegrity structure, without any information on the symmetrical geometry or other predefined initial structural conditions. Three test cases are presented to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method in the form-finding of an irregular tensegrity structure. The result from the numerical form-finding procedure was used to design a real tensegrity object.