Control of a Ball &

Plate System
Andrew Percy
Academic Supervisor James Welsh
Summary
Introduction to the Ball & Plate System
Background & Project Motivation
System Modeling
Actuator Design & Modeling
Sensor Design & Integration
Control System Design
Remaining Work
The Ball & Plate System
Objective
Balance a Ball on a
Moveable Plate
Control Characteristics
Unstable
Non-Linear
Examples
x
y
u
x

u
y

Ball
Plate
Project Motivation
Applications
Control Research
Stabilized Platforms
Rolling Contact
Manipulation
Existing Apparatus
Actuator Backlash
Measurement Errors
Rolling with Slipping
System Model
A Plate Fixed Reference
Frame



Plate Angular Velocity
ux
ux
y''
y'
z'
z''
H
R
ry
Ball
Plate
ex
O
uy
uy
x'
x
z
z'
H R
rx
Ball
Plate
ey
O
|
|
|
.
|

\
|

= T
y x x y x
y x x y x
y y
u u u u u
u u u u u
u u
cos cos sin sin cos
cos sin cos sin sin
sin 0 cos
|
|
|
.
|

\
|

= T T = O
T
0
0
0
x y
x z
y z
e e
e e
e e

System Model
Modeling Assumptions
The Ball is a Perfect Sphere
Rolling Without Slipping
Neglect Plate Potential Energy
Small Plate Angles
Lagrange's Equation
n k
q dt
d
q
k k
,..., 2 , 1 , 0 = =
c
c

c
c

L L
System Model
Complete & Coupled Non-Linear Model


Decoupled Linear Approximation

System Transfer Functions
( ) ( ) ( ) | | | |
x y x y y x x y y y y x x x
r r H R g H R r r u u u u u u u u u u

2 cos cos sin 5 3 sin
7
5
2 2 2 2
+ + + + + + =
( ) ( ) ( ) | |
y y x x x x x x y y x y y x x x y y
r r r H R H R g r r u u u u u u u u u u u u u cos 2 2 sin 5 7 cos 5 6 sin 2 sin
7
5
2

+ + + + =
y y x
H R g r u u


|
.
|

\
|
+ ~
5
3
7
5
7
5
x x y
H R g r u u


|
.
|

\
|
+ + ~
5
7
7
5
7
5
( )
2
2
7
5 3 5
s
H R s g r
y
x
+
=
u
( )
2
2
7
5 5 7
s
g H R s
r
x
y
+
=
u
Actuation
Actuator Selection
Servo Motor
Stepper Motor
Linear Solenoid
Linear Induction Motor
Magnetic Force
-80
-70
-60
-50
-40
-30
-20
-10
0
10
20
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Displacement (mm)
R
e
s
u
l t
a
n
t
F
o
r
c
e
(
N
)
0At
400At
800At
1200At
( )
2 2
2
3 1 0
2
1
I N
l
l l
F
g
m
(
(

=
o t
Sensors
Plate Angle
Potentiometers
Tilt Sensor
Ball Position
Image Processing
Pressure Sensitive Plate
Sensor Grid
Solenoid Current
Current Sense Resistor
r
x

r
y

Plate
Ball
Camera
Buffer
Sync
Separation
Sample
& Hold
Micro
Controller
+
-
Coil
Current
Sense
Out
I
I
Control Design
Ball Position Control
State Feedback
Cascade Control
Ball Position
Controller
Plate Angle
Controller
Plate
Dynamics
Ball
Dynamics
Plate Angle
Sensor
Ball Position
Sensor
Desired Ball
Position
Actual Ball
Position
-
+
-
+
Remaining Work
Continue Development of Solenoid Actuator
Rebuild the Existing Ball & Plate Apparatus
Design Sensor Interface & Control Circuits
Continue Development of System Models
Design & Simulation of Controllers
Develop Control Software
Implement & Test Control System