Friday, July 27, 2007

getting closer on the truss


I am using a different approach now. I won't bond the spokes together at the hub until I know they will line up, again probably one of those hindsight is 20/20 things. You can see that some tubes still need a little more adjusting, but since they are still loose, it's pretty straightforward. I actually hold a protractor up to the screen.

BTW, this is the right configuration isn't it? I have never actually seen one of these things, and Jim's comment was the first time I actually read the word "octet truss"( even though I did read a bio on Buckminster Fuller years ago and some of his poetry [his poetry sucks]), and this is the best reference I currently have.

Also anyone have any ideas on how to test this thing in the simulator? I could just let it sit there and see if it stays together and doesn't wobble a whole lot. What would be great is if it could be put under some stresses, like try to crush it between two diamond slabs. I just don't if I have the computing resources to pull that off though. We'll see.

MTF

5 comments:

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Tom said...

The comment was spam...

Tom said...

yep, that's what is was

Anonymous said...

Buckminster Fuller's magnum opus, Synergetics, is on-line. I think the section on the IVM (Isotropic Vector Matrix) is most relevant to your question.

You might also read Fuller's closest packing of spheres scenario in which he discusses the philosophy that led him to the IVM. It is one of my favorite "scenarios" in Synergetics.

CJ Fearnley
Executive Director
Synergetics Collaborative

Tom said...

Thanks!

and here I am all talking bad about the man's poetry. I was pretty young when I read it though...