IMPLEMENTATION OF A HELICOPTER AS A DIDACTIC PLATFORM FOR STUDYING HARDWARE-BASED PID CONTROL
Keywords:
Active methodology, Engineering Experimentation., Project-based learningAbstract
Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) industrial automatic controllers are widely acknowledged as an effective solution for addressing control challenges in complex dynamic systems and aging industrial plants, particularly in scenarios where precise mathematical modeling is difficult to achieve. Given the critical role of these controllers in industrial applications, engineering students need to acquire a deep, practical understanding of their underlying principles. However, there is a significant gap in educational prototypes designed to facilitate hands-on learning of PID controllers. To bridge this gap, this study proposes the development of a didactic module featuring a one-degree-of-freedom (1-DOF) helicopter with flight control implemented via hardware-based PID. The dynamic system consists of a brushless motor coupled to a propeller, moving along the vertical axis. The primary challenge lies in the physical realization of the analog control loop, which includes processing signals from sensors, controllers, and actuators to position the mobile platform at a desired altitude. The proposed electronic structure provides flexibility in implementation, allowing different combinations of control actions. Furthermore, this work incorporates a pedagogical perspective by proposing an active teaching methodology, that allows students to practically engage with and understand the core principles of control systems, thereby enhancing their educational experience in a meaningful and contextually relevant manner.
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