This is the course project of ELEC-E8101 Digital and Optimal Control at Aalto University. It is somewhat like the inverted pendulum I did in my bachelor’s program, but this time I went much further than simulation. With the course guidance, I managed to implement a PID, an full-state feedback and a LQR controller for the MinSeg robot. The starting point is also formula derivation, followed by simulation in Simulink. After that, the I used the Arduino module in Matlab to compile the Simulink model into C code, and downloaded to the robot.
An inverted pendulum is a pendulum that has its center of mass above its pivot point. It is unstable and without additional help will fall over. It can be suspended stably in this inverted position by using a control system to monitor the angle of the pole and move the pivot point horizontally back under the center of mass when it starts to fall over, keeping it balanced. The inverted pendulum is a classic problem in dynamics and control theory and is used as a benchmark for testing control strategies.