Shape adjustment of precision truss structures: analytical and experimental validation

The use of a limited number of actuator/sensor pairs to alter the shape or behavior of a truss structure to other desired states is explored analytically and experimentally. Feasibility of the concept is established by numerical simulation. As a demonstration, a sequence of validation tests is performed and the correlation with analysis is discussed. An existing full scale, space-erectable high precision truss structure is used for this purpose. For the most part, the test results agreed well with the analysis. However, micron-level nonlinearities were discovered in the truss behavior. The significance of these nonlinearities in precision structures and their impact on the basic premise of adaptivity is discussed.