Come visit us at the Dutch Design Week

18 - 26 october

Energy producing structure

The integration of dual axis sun trackers to lightweight roof structures.

Solar Energy

Directing solar panels towards the sun results in an increased efficiency up to 50%.

Tensegrity

‘Don’t fight forces, use them.’ Tensegrity is a structural lightweight system which is capable of long spans with low material use.

Kinetics

Through manipulation of certain cable lengths it is possible to hinge the struts in desired directions.

Kinegrity

Kinegrity represents a design solution for the integration of dual axis sun trackers to lightweight roof structures. This is done with a kinetic tensegrity structure with a stable membrane roof and hinging vertical struts. The struts punch through the roof at the high points of the membrane roof. On top of the struts pv cells are connected that can follow the path of the sun as a result of the kinetic hinging of the struts in the tensegrity.

Kinegrity Animation

Full prototype in motion

Can't see the video? Click here.
Dutch Design Week Model

This model was displayed at the Dutch Design Week
Animation daily summer motion

Daily motion of the Kinegrity system during the summer. Sliding the weights up and down redirect the solar panels towards the sun.

Can't see the video? Click here.
North South

Pulling the tensioning weights down in the north, the panels will tilt to the south.
East west

Pulling the tensioning weights down in the east, the panels will tilt to the west.
Membrane

The struts holding the PV panels punch through a pre-tensioned membrane roof fabricated by Carpro. A section view shows the engineered ball joint and cable connections.

Facebook Reporters

Kinegrity has been developed at the Technical University Eindhoven by Lucas Klerk and Peter Koelewijn under supervision of Arno Pronk. The Facebook reporters make video reports on interesting project at the TU/e.

Read Kinegrity Brochure

Dutch Design Week

During the Dutch Design Week we present a 9mx9m Kinegrity model. Please visit us 18-26 October at Strijp-S, Eindhoven.

IASS

Kinegrity will be presented at the The IASS-SLTE 2014 Symposium. This years theme is; Footprint. Shells, membranes and spatial structures, can contribute to reduce our ecological footprint and improve our urban environments, providing functional spaces. Kinegrity contributes to all these points.