Deployable - collapsible structures have many potential applications, ranging from emergency shelters and facilities, through relocatable, semi-permanent structures, to space-station components. A new concept of self-supported/self-stabilizied "clicking" structures - featuring stable, stress-free states in both deployed and collapsed forms - shows even higher promises. Basic research will be conducted to establish sound design principles for these structures, which includes modeling of the behavior during articulation. Engineering research dealing with detailing, articulation mechanisms, effects of imperfections and friction and using the developed modeling techniques is needed to make designs work in the real word. Moderate scale structures will be built to test both the modeling technique and the design engineering. The results of this project will be proof of feasibility of large size "clicking" structures, and a set of methodologies and tools for their design and detailing.
