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Full Version: Mechatronic Design of a Ball-on-Plate System
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Abstract

In this paper, we discuss the design of a ball-on-plate balancing system. The conception and development of the ball-on-plate system are outlined with an emphasis on mechatronic design principles. Realization of the design is made with the simultaneous consideration towards constraints like cost, performance, functionality, extendibility, and educational merit.

The physical system consists of an acrylic plate, an actuation mechanism for the plate, a ball position sensor, instrumentation for signal processing, and real-time control software/hardware. Innovative methods have been used for plate actuation and ball sensing. Two motors actuate the two rotation angles of the plate by a system of spatial linkage mechanisms. The plate angles are measured by means of high-resolution optical encoders mounted on the motor shafts. A resistive touch-sensitive screen is mounted on the acrylic plate to sense the ball position. The controller is implemented by means of dSpace, a Matlab-based real-time control prototyping tool. The completely functional system is capable of balancing the ball at any desired point on the plate. The ball can be also commanded to trace complex paths on the plate.

A complete dynamic system investigation for the system is presented in the paper. This includes system modeling, parameter identification, controller design, and experimental verification. Issues related to sensor and actuator selection are also discussed.