Ball and Plate PID control with 6 DOF Stewart platform

This is a semester project in mechatronic control systems at SJSU.

The 6 DOF platform is a proof-of-concept prototype that we created for our senior project (motion simulator). Here, we are using 2 axes of the platform as the output from a PID controller that uses a resistive touch panel mounted on the platform as input. All processing is being done on an Arduino Uno that is controlling 6 R/C servo motors.

Here's a video of some testing for the motion simulator:

[nsfa]

Oh my goodness! As an Engineering student I'm slackjawed at your work because I know all the time and effort you all had to put into it. Congratulations on that. Great job.

[drae]

I like to think the machine has a mechanical heart attack of not knowing what to do when you take the ball off, poor lil thing. 

[djGaming]

This is one of the coolest projects I've seen in a long time!

[mareksumguy]

This is amazing. I was smiling the whole time!.

[hendrikhendrikson]

Every now and then I get amazed. This is one of them!

[SuburbanDon]

This will probably be the coolest PID demo I will ever see.

[neatlyfe]

Balls have gotten really advanced with recent manufacturing.  I remember the days they used to roll off tables.

[babak]

so cool... shocking how many people are saying its "the most useless machine ever"...

reverse it... use it as a cup/phone holder in cars

strap it on a torso... use it for a steady cam operator

slow it down a bit and put it in a sound proof box... sell it as office decore like those pendulum balls, but one that you can actually interact with and program to move in set patterns...

this thing is amazing as it is. people need to stop hating on other people's ideas... contribute or gtfo

[eujc]

This is awesome, I always wondered how PID controllers could be implemented into the real world since taking Control Theory. Thanks for the post.

[emanv]

This is awesome. I went to your site and i got to say that simulator is pretty bad ass. If that ever went into a commercial market i bet you could make good bank.

[blaydesm]

i am also a student as SJSU, i am very impressed!

[konsul]

I'm just satisfied with the ball ending up perfectly in the middle just when the video ends. I can rest peacefully now :)

[sandrosachser]

Great show! Long life for Arduino.Congratulations by your project.

[leonardohenrique]

The old site is not working, I wanted to build a project like this for myself, where can I find the project?

[davidprice]

I love that you're using a nunchuck.

[MichealIkruhara]

Anyone else think the way it trembles is hella creepy?

[mikechiam]

This is a really awesome piece of innovation. I 'd like to know what comes next.

[LeetMath]

My heart is racing from the shaking of the plate

[despoticwolf]

thought it was the jumping one but this is amazing too, beautiful

[BrightBlueJim]

I'm guessing that the convulsions it goes into when you remove the ball are intentional - if there's a dead spot on the touch panel, this will give the ball a kick to clean it. One of the difficult things about building robust servo systems is having them still work when the feedback sensor is noisy or the loop opens for any reason.