DOI: https://doi.org/10.15368/theses.2018.59
Available at: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/2078
Date of Award
6-2018
Degree Name
MS in Mechanical Engineering
Department/Program
Mechanical Engineering
Advisor
Xi Wu, Eric Mehiel, and John Ridgely
Abstract
This thesis document outlines the development of a multibody dynamics simulation of an actively stabilized multiple-input, multiple-output, coupled, balancing cube and the process of verifying the results by implementing the control algorithm in hardware. A non-linear simulation of the system was created in Simscape and used to develop a Linear Quadratic Gaussian control algorithm. To implement this algorithm in actual hardware, the system was first designed, manufactured, and assembled. The structure of the cube and the reaction wheels were milled from aluminum. DC brushless motors were installed into the mechanical system. In terms of electronics, a processor, orientation sensor, motor drivers, analog to digital converters, and a pulse width modulation board were assembled into the cube. Upon completion, the software to control the cube was developed using Simulink and run on a Raspberry Pi computer within the mechanism.