This project investigates equilibrium through a simple, replicable system made from soda cans, a tennis ball, and rubber bands.
Cans act as compressive members, stacked vertically as columns or arranged horizontally as arms. The tennis ball fits neatly into the bottom of the cans, forming a spherical node that distributes load and permits slight angular adjustments. Rubber bands provide the tensile component, holding members in place and countering rotation. To increase precision and repeatability, small notches were cut at the cans’ midpoints so bands could seat securely.
Together, these elements form a system where compression passes through the cans and tension stabilizes the node.