TENSEGRITY STRUCTURES | Indonesian |  Rangka Bangun Transegrity
Channel: Arvind Gupta
Date: 20/07/2015

Tensegrity structures are so interesting because you can make them with very simple materials. You will need 3 stiff straws and 4 loops of wool. Take 17-cm long straws; apply tape on both ends and make 0.5-cm slit. The distance between the slits of all 3 straws will be 16-cm. All thread loops will have a perimeter of 36-cm. Hold the straws at right angles – like the three x y and z axes. Take the green loop and insert it to make a triangle. Then thread the red loop and finally the yellow. Finally on inserting the brown loop of thread the OCTAHEDRON will complete. The thread loops will be in tension and the straws or struts will be under compression. It is a very elegant model. You can also make this model with rubber bands and stiff straws. 

With 6 straws – 15 cm long and 6 loops 35-cm long you can make an ICOSAHEDRON. With the help of a friend it will be much easier to assemble this model. Assemble the green loops and red ones as shown. Finally insert the yellow loops to complete the ICOSAHEDRON. All the straws will be in compression and the thread loops will be in tension.  You can also make a bigger model using broomsticks and thread loops. This work was supported by IUCAA and Tata Trust. This film was made by Ashok Rupner TATA Trust: Education is one of the key focus areas for Tata Trusts, aiming towards enabling access of quality education to the underprivileged population in India. To facilitate quality in teaching and learning of Science education through workshops, capacity building and resource creation, Tata Trusts have been supporting Muktangan Vigyan Shodhika (MVS), IUCAA's Children’s Science Centre, since inception. To know more about other initiatives of Tata Trusts, please visit www.tatatrusts.org