Make a Paper Tensegrity Icosahedron

Today we're making a paper Tensegrity Icosahedron, a pleasing shape with an interesting history and a variety of uses.

If you have seen any tensegrity structure out in the wild, say, a sculpture by Kenneth Snelson, you have no doubt felt the surprise with seeing rods and trusses seemingly floating in mid-air, "islands of compression in a sea of tension". Perhaps you've wanted to build your own tensegrity, but find working with precision-knotted thread of exact lengths to be a daunting challenge. If so, this Instructable is for you.

More information on the Tensegrity Icosahedron here and here.

It's important to realize before starting out, that you'll be building a tensegrity object in disguise; the "island of compression" is hiding in a crease, and the "sea of tension" is the paper (and glue) itself. The benefit of the "disguise" is the variety of colors and patterns you can take advantage of with paper, the relative low cost of materials, and ease of construction. If you can operate a computer printer, a pair of scissors, and a glue stick, you'll be fine. There is no tensegrity object that couldn't be made in the following manner, though some would be very complex, and so the paper Tensegrity Icosahedron is a good place to start.

1. At least six pieces of cardstock of any color or weight you desire. I used a generic "Autumn Colors 65lbs Cardstock". You'll want something heavier than regular white paper if you want the model to survive over a year, but it will work in a pinch. Choose a size that fits your printer (see point 2).
2. A computer and printer. A file will be downloaded from this Instructable, and you'll print it out six times (see point 3).
3. The black and white T-6strut-Icosa.png file attached to this Instructable. Get that downloaded to your computer.
4. Scissors for cutting paper.
5. Glue stick for gluing paper. I'm ride-or-die with Uhu's brand, but use what you can find.

Optionals:

1. paper straws to make a tripod for displaying the T-Icosa
2. other, lighter papers to turn into glazing for the eight open equilateral triangles that will emerge from your completed construction
3. a buddy for construction and quality control. I don't necessarily recommend a cat; the cat didn't concern herself with my opinions

Before we get to printing and cutting, it's a good idea to have an understanding of the shape we're putting together. The traditional Tensegrity Icosahedron is constructed by putting six compression struts into three groups of two, and then arranging those groups at right angles from each other. You'll wind up with eight open triangles made from the tension cords.

What the Paper Tensegrity Icosahedron philosophy of construction starts with is replacing the compression column with the crease in a paper diamond, and the tensional cables are now the folded edges of that creased paper diamond.

In place of having six compressive struts, we print off six copies of T-6strut-Icosa.png. The arrangement of the paper diamonds is going to be exactly the same as the traditional Tensegrity Icosahedron.

Print out six copies of T-6strut-Icosa.png and cut out the shapes along the outer line. The lone triangle in the T-6strut-Icosa.png file is going to be used as a template for you to cut triangles out of other optional paper types, according to your personal preferences. If you want to leave the triangular faces open, that's entriely OK as well. When you've got six modules cut out, proceed to the next step.

In origami this would be called valley and mountain folds. Starting from the center as a valley fold, the edges do a mountain fold, and then another valley fold.

The two "western-style bow tie" tabs at either end of a module connecting hinges for the whole system. Every module starts perpendicular to it's neighbor, and then turbines around a common equilateral triangle. With a good glue stick and some patient press-and-hold, a really strong bond can be made. Give time for your glue stick to set; the more modules you put together, the greater the tension building up in the system is, so you don't want a module slipping on you due to unset glue!

As you combine modules, refer to the diagrams in step one to keep your order of operations happy. They'll be your map for this uncharted territory.

CONGRATULATIONS. You've got it constructed. Take a moment and enjoy the looks of the tensegrity paper icosahedron. It's sturdier than it looks.

I might occur to you the eight triangular windows could use some window panes. Go ahead and make them out of the paper of your choosing. Legs can be installed along the diamonds, in this case using paper straws. Makes a respectable night light with the addition of a battery-powered LED source.

Share your builds below, and thank you for stopping by!