Slack Pack proposes a new coreless filament winding method that eliminates the need for pre-made winding frames by utilizing the controlled tensioning and untensioning of fiber, allowing for the creation of deployable spatial structures. Conventional rigid winding frames limit geometric freedom, robot reachability, and production flexibility. In Slack Pack, by using a multi-robot system to secure fiber around non-fiber nodes, the structure can go slack without losing its geometric properties such as member lengths or interaction angles.
This allows it to be fabricated in a collapsed state, eliminating the need for a frame and preventing future reachability problems. The result is an untensioned spatial structure that can be stored and transported in a collapsed state and deployed onsite via tensioning and onsite curing. Furthermore, its length is not limited by the fabrication envelope, allowing for the production of long spatial structures such as radio towers or long-span space frames.
ITECH M.Sc. Thesis Project 2022: Slack Pack - Frameless Fiber Winding of Deployable Spatial Structures
Thesis Advisers: Rebeca Duque Estrada, Christoph Zechmeister
Thesis Supervisor: Prof. Achim Menges
Second Supervisor: Prof. Jan Knippers