Ryan Kuo Rose Hills
Optimizing Tensegrity Structures for High Impact Energy Absorption
In the high-stakes world of aerospace engineering, every landing is a battle against extreme forces. To ensure safer, reusable launch systems, we need materials that don’t just absorb impact but also protect our loads from intense conditions. Traditional architected metamaterials often fail due to highly localized stress concentrations that lead to deformation, strut buckling, or surface cracks, which can then propagate and compromise structural integrity. In contrast, tensegrity structures—geometrically intricate frameworks of tension and compression components—offer a promising alternative by delocalizing the deformation. Despite their potential, additively manufactured tensegrity structures have yet to be tuned for impact-absorbing applications. My collaborators and I will focus on developing tensegrity lattice structures optimized for high crushing efficiencies, manufacturing approaches, and exploring alternative fabrication methods that enable scalable and cost-effective production of tensegrity metamaterials.
Message To Sponsor
Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to pursue a research project on developing lattice structures—lightweight, resilient materials that could greatly improve the safety and reusability of aerospace landing systems. This project combines my passion for structural mechanics, design optimization, and additive manufacturing.