In the lab year 2008/2009 the students constructed and developed a mobile inverted pendulum "JIM". It is a two-wheeled robot with a weight attached to its top. The robot must be constantly balanced while driving so that it does not fall over.
To this end, the students firstly determined the mathematical model of the robot. Based on this, a controller for positioning and balancing is designed. The idea is to measure the position of the chassis and the inclination of the rod and to generate a torque using a control algorithm that counteracts the tilting movement and at the same time enables driving and steering. To implement the controller, speed and inclination sensors are connected to a microprocessor (embedded system) via signal processing and communication electronics. The microprocessor processes the sensor data using the control algorithm and controls the wheel motors via power electronics. The wheel motors and electronics are powered by lithium-ion batteries.
In the following lab year 2009/2010 "JIM" was expanded by a camera. For this purpose, a mounting was designed, with which one can change the angle of inclination of the camera. To adjust the camera angle, the camera holder is then connected to a DC motor via a worm. An encoder is attached to the motor for angle detection. In the end, the students tried image recognition using the camera.