Design of a Modular Undamped Inverted Pendulum with Interchangeable Components as a Learning Tool
Alejandro Saldarriaga, Franco Rivadeneira, Bruno Ivazeta, Lizandro Guzman, Wilson Rivera, Celso De La Cruz · 2024
The inverted pendulum is a nonlinear control system that is widely studied for its theoretical and practical aspects. Its instability and need for precise control make it a suitable platform for testing and developing control techniques. Although it is often used in theoretical courses on controller design, where students perform simulations, this approach can sometimes lead to a limited understanding of the system's behavior or fail to account for external factors such as vibrations or external forces. The main objective of this work is to design an educational modular system that allows students in STEM fields to physically understand the modeling and development of control systems, thereby reinforcing their theoretical knowledge. As a result, a complete system was implemented, detailing the control design process, which can be replicated by students using the physical system. This setup enables the comparison of the theoretical model's performance with the real system, using metrics to analyze and seek improvements in controller development.