Experimental study of stabilizing the position of a device for transporting small-sized cargo

An experimental study of the stabilization process of a small cargo transportation device is required to confirm the applicability of the theoretical method for synthesizing optimal motion control of such a device in practice. This paper describes the methodology for conducting such an experiment and the methods for evaluating the quality of such stabilization. The expected outcome was to obtain experimental data verifying the quality of the developed control system for 11 sets of PID-controller coefficients. The controller coefficients that provided the best stabilization performance were selected. Additionally, experimental data with minimal error compared to theoretical data needed to be obtained. The experimental study was conducted using a physical model of a two-wheeled transportation device for small cargo. The quality of position control was tested for eleven sets of PID-controller coefficients. Experimental data sets of the device’s performance were collected, compared with theoretical data, and used to evaluate the quality of the stabilization process. A comparison of theoretical and experimental data provided values for maximum and root-mean-square errors of the device's tilt angle, as well as errors in the maximum and root-mean-square angular velocity of the tilt. The damping decrement of oscillations ranged from 0.25 to 2.11. Among all the solutions, the best set of PID-controller coefficients from a practical point of view was selected (proportional k1=-2,112, integral k2=-1,756, derivative k3=-1,38·10-7). This result corresponds to the highest damping decrement (λ=2.11). The obtained results provide grounds for considering the optimal control synthesis methodology adequate and the experimental validation successfully completed.