Tensegrity

Tensegrity structures (Wikipedia: Tensegrity) may be useful as motives in gemstone based metamaterials. Bigger tensegrity nets need some added redundancy to be able to cope with radiation damage.

Key features of tensegrity structures are:

• + foldability / deployability
• + leightweightness / optimal structure with minimal mass
• - zero stiffness in equilibrium position (quadratic minima) -> "flexible feel"
• - failure at one point leads to complete loss of structural integrity