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Abstract Tensegrity structures have emerged as important components of various engineering structures due to their high stiffness, light weight, and deployable capability. Existing studies on dynamic analyses of tensegrity structures mainly focus on responses of their nodal points while overlook deformations of their cable and strut members. This study aims to propose a non-contact approach for experimental modal analysis of a tensegrity structure to identify its three-dimensional (3D) natural frequencies and full-field mode shapes, which include modes with deformations of its cable and strut members. A 3D scanning laser Doppler vibrometer (SLDV) is used with a mirror for extending its field of view to measure full-field vibration of a three-strut tensegrity column with free boundaries. Tensions and axial stiffnesses of cable members of the tensegrity column are determined using natural frequencies of their transverse and longitudinal modes, respectively, and used to build a numerical model of the tensegrity column for dynamic analysis and model validation purposes. Modal assurance criterion (MAC) values between experimental and numerical mode shapes are used to identify their paired modes. Natural frequencies and mode shapes of the first 15 elastic modes of the tensegrity column are identified from the experiment, which include modes of the overall structure and its cable members. These identified modes can be classified into five mode groups depending on their types. Five modes are paired between experimental and numerical results with MAC values larger than 78%. Differences between natural frequencies of paired modes of the tensegrity column are less than 15%. The non-contact 3D vibration measurement approach presented in this work can measure responses of nodal points, as well as deformations of cable and strut members, of the tensegrity column, and allows accurate estimation of its 3D full-field modal parameters.
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This content will become publicly available on November 5, 2025
Full-field Modal Analysis of a Tensegrity Column Using a Three-dimensional Scanning Laser Doppler Vibrometer with a Mirror
Abstract Tensegrity structures become important components of various engineering structures due to their high stiffness, light weight, and deployable capability. Existing studies on their dynamic analyses mainly focus on responses of their nodal points while overlook deformations of their cable and strut members. This study proposes a non-contact approach for experimental modal analysis of a tensegrity structure to identify its three-dimensional (3D) natural frequencies and full-field mode shapes, which include modes with deformations of its cable and strut members. A 3D scanning laser Doppler vibrometer is used with a mirror for extending its field of view to measure full-field vibration of a novel three-strut metal tensegrity column with free boundaries. Tensions and axial stiffnesses of its cable members are determined using natural frequencies of their transverse and longitudinal modes, respectively, to build its theoretical model for dynamic analysis and model validation purposes. Modal assurance criterion (MAC) values between experimental and theoretical mode shapes are used to identify their paired modes. Modal parameters of the first 15 elastic modes of the tensegrity column identified from the experiment, including those of the overall structure and its cable members, can be classified into five mode groups depending on their types. Modes paired between experimental and theoretical results have MAC values larger than 78%. Differences between natural frequencies of paired modes of the tensegrity column are less than 15%. The proposed non-contact 3D vibration measurement approach allows accurate estimation of 3D full-field modal parameters of the tensegrity column.
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- PAR ID:
- 10555890
- Publisher / Repository:
- American Society of Mechanical Engineers
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Vibration and Acoustics
- ISSN:
- 1048-9002
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1 to 11
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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