Modeling and Control of Tensegrity Structures in Marine Systems

The project is part of the IntelliSTRUCT programme organized as a cooperation between CeSOS and SINTEF Fisheries & Aquaculture. The programme aims at developing marine structures with improved capabilities with respect to environmental loading by incorpor ating new structure concepts and control theory. Tensegrity structures (TS) consist of bar elements (always in compression) kept in position by a network of string elements (always in tension) connected at bar nodes. The structure concept has been appli ed in architecture, civil engineering, structural engineering and aerospace engineering for nearly half a century. Professor Robert E. Skelton is Director of Structural Systems and Control Labaratory (SSCL) at University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and a mentor in the field of control of structures, especially with respect to space applications. He has a broad academic and industrial background from projects for NASA as the Hubble Space Telecsope and SkyLab. Professor Skelton has been visiting our g roup of researchers at CeSOS, NTNU this summer holding lectures and a workshop on future marine structures. He has become co-advisor for me during my PhD and I am now invited to UCSD for a 6,5 month research stay. We believe the introduction of smart st ructure concepts as tensegrity structures will have a large impact on design and technological solutions for several Norwegian industries as aquaculture, offshore, oil and gas, space industry and automation. Please see attached articles from Adresseavis en and Universitetsavia about Professor Skeltons visit to NTNU.