Build a 3D Printed Tensegrity Planter
Competing tension makes the top appear to float above the base
Who doesn’t love a good optical illusion? Tensegrity structures can appear to float in mid-air, with no obvious supports. My mom expressed an interest in one of the “floating table” builds she saw on social media, so I decided to find a small model to make for her using the same concepts. This planter immediately caught my eye — the design is posted on Thingiverse here.
How They Work
The word “tensegrity” was coined by Buckminster Fuller, an author and architect of the 1960s. He did some fascinating work, being perhaps most famous for popularizing the geodesic dome structures. Tensegrity is a mashup of “tension” and “integrity”. Most everyday structures are held up by rigid objects in compression — the ends are being pushed together, and they resist bending or buckling. In a tensegrity structure, the supports can be floppy, like chains or rope, and the structure is held up by competing tension. In tension, the ends of a rope are pulled apart and the rope pulls taut.
In this model, and many of the floating tables you see, the weight of the entire structure is supported by the center support line. The weight of the top and the plant pull that center line tight. This, by itself, is not enough for a…
