IDEAS² Center students and Co-Investigators at Texas A&M University developed a testbed featuring a pseudoelastic sinusoidal Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) structure integrated with a tensegrity tower, representing a deployable space structure.
To ensure accurate measurement, stabilizing bars were added to constrain motion to a single deflection direction, and a displacement gauge was positioned at the center. This configuration significantly reduced measurement error and uncertainty.
Preliminary experiments demonstrated a predictable force–displacement relationship, validating the setup for reliable measurements.
This system will be used in future dynamic testing and control studies, including investigations of top-end loading and structural actuation for deployable space systems.