Stephen M. Levin, MD Ezekiel Biomechanics Group |  | | I am an Orthopedic Surgeon with a special interest in Tensegrity biomechanics, biotensegrity. Tensegrity is a naturally occurring construct first recognized and developed by Ken Snelson and R. Buckminster Fuller in which the compression elements of the construct 'float' in continuous tension network (example: bicycle wheel).
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Tensegrity icosahedrons are used to model biologic organisms from viruses to vertebrates, their cells, systems and subsystems. There are only tension and compression elements in tensegrity systems. There are no shears, bending moments or levers, just simple tension and compression, in a self organizing, hierarchical, load distributing, low energy consuming structure. After you have read some of the papers in the papers section, you might want to read more about Tensegrity. For an excellent review by an architect see Val Jauregui's architectual thesis found here http://www.alumnos.unican.es/uc1279/Tensegrity_Structures.htm . For furthur understanding of tensegrity in biologic structures from the viewpoint of a geometer/artist/inventor see Tom Flemons' The Geometry of Anatomy - the Bones of Tensegrity published on his website. Tom makes models of anatomical structures based on biotensegrity principles. Most of the models I show in my DVD are made by Tom and a third of the DVD is a discussion I have with him about Biotensegrity using his models to illustrate the concept. Michael Turvey has written an extensive analysis in which the whole topic of musculoskeletal synergies is explored (41 pages). Needless for me to say, the concept of biotensegrity is included in the discussion. Turvey MT. 2007. Action and perception at the level of synergies. Hum Mov Sci. 26 (2007) 657-697
This links to my 2nd site where there is a clip from our DVD , Biotensegrity & Dynamic Anatomy, plus some history of Biotensegrity.
You might also want to investigate Donald Ingber's on-going research here. He is the other guy working on this stuff, but primarily at the cellular level.. For the scientist, be wary of the writings of Carlos Castaneda who has co-opted the term 'tensegrity' and redefined it to a fictionalized version of some movements supposedly used by Native American shamans who lived in Mexico in times prior to the Spanish conquest, it seems he just liked the sound of the word. This is not how the word was conceived by Fuller, who coined the term or Snelson, who first applied the mechanical principles to modern mechanical structures as an art form. I have moved to the term 'biotensegrity' to try and clearly distinguish what is science and what is 'new wave mysticism' in regards to biologic structures.
(For more on this GOOGLE - Carlos Castaneda cults.) |
