Tensegrity musical structures

Abstract

The invention is a single and/or musical instrument based on Tensegrity structures. It shows how a simple retying of a traditional Tensegrity, comprising a plurality of single shaped and/or multi-shaped struts, results in the creation of a single and/or multi-toned musical device, in which the compression struts of traditional Tensegrities become musical instruments. The simple retying involves moving the tie point of the struts from their usual place, at the strut ends, into one of the nodal minima's for the desired strut resonance mode. Another way of viewing this transformation is to imagine lengthening the strut beyond the ends where the strut is tied until the tie points are at resonant nodal minima's. What is left after the transformation is that all of the structural properties of a Tensegrity are maintained, while any of the struts tat were retied in the transformation become musical chimes that sound oust a musical note, or combination of notes when struck with a playing hammer.

1 ) method of converting any tensegrity structure into a musical instrument where one our more of the struts become the resonating elements by tying the struts together at any one or more internal strut nodal minimum of the desired resonate mode for that strut.  
   
   
       2 ) The method of  claim 1 , where the Tensegrity being converted into a musical instrument is a “twisted prism”. Where the number of struts n can be any integer three or greater.  
   
   
       3 ) Multi-mode resonating chimes created from one or more of a Tensegrities' struts by choosing the strut to be any shape or combination of shapes, and or material or combinations of materials to create desired multi-modal resonance in Tensegrity struts.  
   
   
       4 ) Chime described in  claim 3 . where the strut is a solid rod or hollow tube with one or more distinct radial symmetries and or asymmetries.  
   
   
       5 ) Chime described in  claim 3 . where the strut is a solid rod and or a hollow tube with one or more distinct longitudinal symmetries and or asymmetries. Longitudinal symmetries have variations on long the length of the strut, and can include changes in shape, materials, or properties of the material such as thickness and or density.  
   
   
       6 ) Chime described in claims  3 ,  4 , &  5 , where chime is of triangular, and or different cross-sections including symmetric and or asymmetric rotational modulations with and without symmetric and asymmetric radial variations thereof. For example, one such variation with 5-fold rotational symmetry would form a five-pointed star cross-section whose points are of different lengths and base widths.  
   
   
       7 ) Chime described in claims  3 ,  4 , &  5 , is of rectangular, and or different cross-sections including symmetric and or asymmetric rotational modulations with and without symmetric and asymmetric radial variations thereof.  
   
   
       8 ) Chime described in claims  3 ,  4 , &  5 , is of an oval, and or different cross-sections including symmetric and or asymmetric rotational modulations with and without symmetric and asymmetric radial variations thereof.  
   
   
       9 ) Chime described in  claim 3 ,  4 , &  5 , where the asymmetry is designed to be nearly the same so as to create a rich sounding phasing of two or more tones created making fullness in the sound that is often desired of musical instruments by musicians.  
   
   
       10 ) Chime described in  claim 3 ,  4 , &  5 , where the asymmetry in cross-section is set to provide a particular frequency offset of the one or more tones created, such as a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, a full octave, or any other frequency offset desired.  
   
   
       11 ) Any single or multi-modal chime described in  claim 3 . made of metal, wood, plastic, glass, ceramic, and/or any other materials or combinations thereof.  
   
   
       12 ) Any single or multi-modal chime described in  claim 3 . of a rectangular, oval triangular, and any other shape, size, or cross-section where each variation, including longitudinal variations, can be realized singularly, or in any combination thereof.  
   
   
       13 ) A method where desired cross coupling of the resonators in a multi-resonator Tensegrity is accomplished by exploiting the Tensegrities struts inherent ability to share an applied stress with the struts adjacent to it.