Rotational inverted pendulum: a new control experiment

This paper addresses the issue of the need for low-cost challenging experiments by suggesting a new type of inverted pendulum referred to as the “rotational inverted pendulum” (RIP). The complete experimental setup for the low-cost RIP is described, including the mechanical and electrical hardware as well as the software interface. The system is mathematically modeled, and the results of the simulation are presented. Experimental results compare two controllers, a linear quadratic regulator and a fuzzy knowledge based controller. The use of this apparatus in both undergraduate and graduate courses is described and discussed