Swing-Up and Stabilization of the Double Furuta Pendulum

The problem of stabilization of an inverted pendulum is a common experiment in controls laboratories. The objective of the experiment is to balance a bar upright by providing appropriate motion to its base, similar to balancing a tennis racket upright on the palm of a human hand. The problem can be made more challenging by trying to balance two serially-joined bars instead of one. In this thesis, such a problem is considered. A mathematical model of the system is developed, and ideas of swing-up and stabilization of the two serial bars (mechanical links) are explored. A prototype is developed for validating the control system, and the details of the hardware design are discussed