A Comparative Study of LQR and Sliding Control for Ball and Beam System

In this paper, we will survey two controllers, a linear control (LQR) and sliding mode control (SMC) on a central axis ball and beam (B&B) – a single input-multiple output (SIMO) system through simulation and experiment. In experiment, we present a hardware platform using STM32F407 for this model. Beside simulation results, the results in experiment prove the effectiveness of both methods in different cases. Thence, through this research, the advantages and disadvantages of the two controllers are demonstrated for designers to select in suitable cases.