In the lab year 2018/2019, the students built a satellite orientation system. With the help of a BLDC motor, which generates a torque by means of a flywheel connected by a shaft, the students control the rotation of the satellite according to the law of conservation of angular momentum.

Of course, due to its weight, the satellite cannot hang freely in the air. A wire rope is used to enable the satellite to "float". A metal frame was built and suspended using the wire rope. Several levels are to be drawn into this frame, on which all the necessary components can then be installed. The influence of the rope on the rotary movement was minimized by expanding the control program and designing a good swivel joint.

Sensors and individual components were built and attached by the students. First, the construction of the frame and weight distribution was calculated so that the satellite behaves optimally when turning the flywheel. A control program was written for stable following of a reference angle. An IMU sensor was used to detect the orientation of the satellite. In addition, the satellite was revised with a special focus on cooperation with people and perception of the environment. To this end, the students connect a camera to the satellite and use it to detect and track objects.

Raspberry Pi and Arduino were used to control the actuators. A circuit board for the power supply was designed by the students. The ROS (Robot Operating System) is used as communication middleware between the individual parts of the hardware.