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2020-06-28 11:03 pm
I am tooling up to build a self balancing robot using two DC motors, 2 x 18650 for power, Arduino Nano and L298N motor driver, and MPU6050 accelerometer/gyroscope module. I plan to use PID control.
I am wondering about the physical layout of such a unit. Is it best to try to lower the Centre of Gravity, or keep it high? I have read varying opinions on this. Some say keep it low, which would seem sensible. Some say make it high to achieve a higher "mass moment of inertia" which may correspond to a lower angular acceleration, ie slower fall. Since the batteries are by far the heaviest component other than the motors, their location will greatly affect the CoG.
Any useful tips or lessons learned on use of PID with Arduino devices would also be welcomed.
Does anyone here have an opinion or practical experience in this area? I would value your input!
2020-06-29 12:12 pm
I'm in the camp of having more weight in the upper half.
Adding some plasticine to the top of a length of rod (even a pencil), and testing the balancing of it on your finger (with and without, and using a different length of rod), will go a long way towards proving the point 😉
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Topic starter
2020-06-30 12:57 am
@frogandtoad Thanks for that analogy. That makes it very clear that I will put the heavy batteries up top.
Cheers!