SMART STRUCTURE

By Steven Griffin

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Photography by Steven Griffin

STOP-MOTION AUTOMATION

Build an active vibration-damping system that uses piezoelectric sensors and actuators to absorb any shocks to an aluminum beam. Then turn a knob and watch the beam vibrate out of control.

Smart structures range from K2’s vibration-damping Four skis to the adaptive mirrors in Mauna Kea’s Keck telescopes that counter atmospheric aberrations. Someday they might also enable buildings and bridges to counter stresses from traffic, weather, and earthquakes. Here’s an introduction to this fascinating technology, a desktop “skyscraper” that uses integrated sensors, ...

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