NXT Ballbot (Self-Balancing Robot On A Ball) Controller Design

NXT Ballbot Model-Based Design based on Embedded Coder Robot NXT.

Description

NXT Ballbot is a LEGO Mindstorms NXT version of Ballbot that is developed by Ralph Hollis at Carnegie Mellon University. The Ballbot is designed to balance itself on its single spherical wheel while traveling about. Please refer the following URL to know more detailed information about Ballbot.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballbot

This demo presents sample models and documents describe the following contents.

How to Build NXT Ballbot
Mathematical Dynamics Model of NXT Ballbot
Controller Design for Balance and Drive Control
NXT Ballbot Model Illustration
Simulation and Experimental Results

You can simulate NXT Ballbot model and generate controller program that can be executed on the NXT. Furthermore, you can watch movies of NXT Ballbot simulation and control experiment at the following URL.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MfiAZBsWac
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8jxGsg3p0Y

This demo requires Embedded Coder Robot NXT Demo as MBD environment. You need to download it from the following URL before trying this demo.

http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/13399

<Disclaimer>
LEGO(R) is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this demo. LEGO(R) and Mindstorms(R) are registered trademarks of The LEGO Group.

Acknowledgements

The author wishes to acknowledge the following in the creation of this submission:
Embedded Coder Robot NXT Demo, NXTway-GS (Self-Balancing Two-Wheeled Robot) Controller Design, NXT SCARA (Two-Link Planar Robot Arm) Controller Design
This submission has inspired the following:
NXTway-GS (Self-Balancing Two-Wheeled Robot) Controller Design

• Required Products: Control System Toolbox; Real-Time Workshop; Embedded Coder; Simulink; Simulink 3D Animation
• MATLAB release: MATLAB 7.5 (R2007b)
• Other requirements: nxtOSEK, Cygwin, GNU ARM

[Piotr Czekalski]

Great model.
Works almost perfect - I've been able to create and test one in our university's robotics lab - still need some tuning, mostly because of gyro sensor offsets I guess. Anyway very spectacular one ;-).

Thank you for sharing!

[Saber]

 

[Lorenzo Garcia]