Rotary Inverted Pendulum
Rotary Inverted Pendulum
Embedded Files
The purpose of this personal project was to build a rotary-style inverted pendulum mechanism. This would provide an opportunity to practice skills involving CAD design, 3D print manufacturing, C programming and sensor/ actuator integration.
The purpose of this personal project was to build a rotary-style inverted pendulum mechanism. This would provide an opportunity to practice skills involving CAD design, 3D print manufacturing, C programming and sensor/ actuator integration.
What
An inverted pendulum mechanism was built as a demonstration system for control theory, highlighting how feedback can stabilize an otherwise unstable system.
How
The system uses an Arduino Uno, a NEMA 17 stepper motor, an A4988 driver, and a rotary encoder to detect and correct the pendulum's position. Initially, the design lacked a solution for wire entanglement during continuous rotation. To address this, the improved version incorporated a slip ring, enabling unrestricted 360° rotation without twisting wires.
Results
The improved design allows for safer and more reliable operation during extended use or continuous correction scenarios. The addition of the slip ring eliminates the risk of wire entanglement, making the system more practical and robust for control demonstrations.
An inverted pendulum mechanism is a classic example used in control systems education to demonstrate the principles of feedback and system stability. Unlike a regular pendulum, which hangs downwards and is naturally stable, an inverted pendulum stands upright, balanced on its pivot point, making it inherently unstable. This system requires active control to maintain balance, serving as an excellent model for teaching how feedback loops and controllers can be used to stabilize unstable systems.
In this particular build, the inverted pendulum system consists of several key components:
A rotary encoder is used to measure the angular position of the pendulum.
A NEMA 17 stepper motor to rotate the base and correct the pendulum’s position.
An A4988 stepper motor driver to control the stepper motor.
An Arduino Uno microcontroller to read sensor data and execute PID control algorithms.
While this setup effectively demonstrates the stabilization of an inverted pendulum, it has some limitations. Specifically, if the stepper motor rotates continuously in one direction (e.g., to compensate for persistent disturbances), it could cause wire entanglement, which may damage the system or limit its range of motion.
To address this issue, an improved design incorporates a slip ring. A slip ring allows electrical connections to pass through a rotating joint, enabling continuous 360-degree rotation without twisting or tangling the wires. This enhancement not only improves reliability but also expands the system's range of operation infinitely.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse