Tensegrity Sensor Desdobrável by Daniel Lim

Tensegrity Sensor Desdobrável by Daniel Lim is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2022 A' Design Award de Platina in Engenharia de Produto e Design Técnico Competition Category.

PlatinaEngenharia· 2022

Tensegrity Sensor Desdobrável

by Daniel Lim

A' Design Award de Platina Winner in Engenharia Category

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Verified Award Winner
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View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

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The Design

About Tensegrity Sensor Desdobrável

Tensegrity é um sensor desdobrável concebido para zonas de catástrofe. O Tensegrity é largado de um drone para recolher dados destinados às equipas de emergência, incluindo fugas de gás, imagens e sons de sobreviventes. Hastes rígidas e fios de nylon formam uma estrutura tensionada que absorve o impacto de uma queda de mais de 50 metros, dispensando o uso de paraquedas. Quatro módulos recolhidos são transportados numa caixa sob o drone e libertados sobre o local, abrindo-se cada módulo ao aterrar. O sensor alcança lugares dos quais as pessoas não se podem aproximar com segurança.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award de Platina

Tensegrity Sensor Desdobrável conquistou o A' Design Award de Platina, um reconhecimento extremamente prestigiado atribuído a designs verdadeiramente excecionais, elegantes e magníficos. Os vencedores da Platina são maravilhas da criação, testemunhos dos limites da criatividade intelectual, e demonstram o profissionalismo inigualável e o génio dos seus designers. Espera-se que estes designs sejam as obras mais reconhecidas, que definem a estética de uma época, contribuem para o bem-estar da sociedade e fazem avançar as fronteiras da arte, da ciência, do design e da tecnologia. Tensegrity Sensor Desdobrável exibe um nível transcendente de excelência e torna, sem sombra de dúvida, o mundo num lugar melhor graças às suas características vantajosas e valiosas. Tensegrity Sensor Desdobrável é uma obra vencedora do A' Design Award de Platina que desperta desejos, inspira, entusiasma, delicia e faz nascer uma grande alegria.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Tensegrity sensor for disaster site, which could be dropped from the sky (drone) to gather information for the emergencyresponse crew (gas leaks, visuals, and audios). Once the drone arrives at the spot, many tensegrity modulesstored in a basket with an autonomous deployment system are deployed on multiple locations. The sensors can be delivered to disaster areas where humans are unable to approach.
Dimensions & Packaging: Maximum size of 150 mm x 150 mm x 150 mm when deployed, and 150 mm x 150 mm x 60 mm when collapsed.
Tags: Tensegrity, soft robot, disaster response, emergency sensors
Production Technology: The tensegrity module's goal is to offer the response team in a catastrophe region with a range of data. This data contains auditory or visual alerts that may have been generated by survivors, as well as a collection of gas leaks that may have enabled focused response to prevent larger accidents. Enclosures for the current mudules are made with SLA 3D printing, and many wireless sensors are enclosed. Furthermore, commercial nylon threads were employed to give the necessary tension for the framework.
Design Challenge: Finding appropriate materials for the string was extremely difficult because it needed to offer enough tension as well as strength to endure the drop. Another challenge was the module's assembly, which required many stiff rods to be linked at the same time. We solved this problem by creating a 3D printed jig that holds the component in place during assembly and using nylon threads to give sturdiness as well as enough tension for the construction.
Research: This design is based on the tensegrity structure, which has sparked academic interest due to its energy absorption qualities with a specially constructed mix of rigid rod and strings. Through interviews and observations, we discovered that the quick reaction team frequently lacks the data required for the response plan, particularly in the case of a large-scale disaster such as a forest fire. Because drones have limited battery life and require pilot control to gather information, we developed tensegrity modules that can be easily deployed to many places in need of sensory input.
Inspiration: Tensegrity structures are a type of stiff beam coupled with many strings that generate tension that can sustain the impact of a collision. Inspired by the structure, the sensor can be deployed from more than 50 m above the ground without the use of an additional device (parachute).
Project Duration: The project started in August 2021 in Seoul, Korea and finished in March 2022 in Berkeley, California.
Operation Flow: Initially, four sensor modules are carried in a collapsed hexagonal box attached to the drone. When the drone approaches the point of interest (to collect data), the bottom panel of the box opens, allowing the sensor module to be dropped from a great height. The module rapidly deploys into the fully tensioned tensegrity structure, absorbing enough energy from impact with the ground. The module collects data for the reaction strategy by deploying various sensors.
Team Members: Team Director: Dr. Alice M. Agogino
Director of controls engineering: Brian Cera
Director of operation : Deniz Dogruer