dowel, screw-eye and wire tensegrity rhombic dodecahedron

I completed assembling this diamond version of the structure on August 13, 1982, after having assembled a zig-zag version on May 23, 1982. It was a test of a general framework I had formulated for designing diamond tensegrities. Not a very good picture, but it's the best I have.

It is based on the rhombic dodecahedron. All the struts are symmetric and correspond to the edges of the rhombic dodecahedron. Each strut connects with a tendon square and a tendon triangle. These correspond to the vertices of the rhombic dodecahedron. Two tendons connect each square with each triangle. This is what makes it a diamond structure. In a zig-zag structure, only one tendon would connect each square with each triangle.


Previous Index Next