Real-Time Ball Balancing System

This repository contains the source code and implementation details of a real-time ball balancing system. The project demonstrates the use of Arduino to dynamically stabilize a ball on a plate using servo motors, sensors, and PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative) control.

Project Overview

The goal of the project is to:

1. Read the ball's position on a plate using sensors.
2. Compute control signals using PID controllers to adjust the plate's angle dynamically.
3. Stabilize the ball at a desired position (setpoint) on the plate.

This project highlights the integration of control systems, embedded programming, and practical mechatronics applications.

Features

• PID Control: Fine-tuned PID controllers for X and Y axes to stabilize the ball.
• Real-Time Processing: Dynamic adjustments to maintain the ball's position at the desired setpoint.
• Servo Motor Control: Precise angular displacement for plate stabilization.
• Sensing System: Uses analog readings to determine the ball's position on the plate.

Components Used

• Arduino Uno: Microcontroller for computation and signal processing.
• Servo Motors: For tilting the plate along the X and Y axes.
• Sensors: Analog sensors to detect the ball's position.
• Plate with Corner Pins: Mechanical system to support and stabilize the ball.

Code Overview

Main Functionalities

1. PID Control:

   • PID controllers compute the required servo angles based on the ball's position and the setpoint.
   • Gains (Kp, Ki, Kd) are tuned for optimal performance.

2. Servo Control:

   • Servo motors adjust the plate's tilt based on PID output.

3. Ball Sensing:

   • Analog readings are averaged for accurate position detection.
   • Pins are toggled to read X and Y coordinates separately.

4. Stability Logic:

   • If no ball movement is detected, the plate resets to a flat position.

Variables and Constants

• PID Variables:

  • SetPointX, SetPointY: Desired position of the ball.
  • pvX, pvY: Process variables (current position of the ball).
  • OutputX, OutputY: Control signals sent to the servo motors.

• Servo Parameters:

  • thetaXflat, thetaYflat: Flat position angles.
  • thetaXmax, thetaYmax: Maximum angular displacement.

• Timing:

  • samplingInterval: Ensures consistent control loop timing.

Setup and Usage

1. Hardware Setup:

   • Connect servos to pins 7 and 8 on the Arduino.
   • Connect sensors to the sensePin (A0).
   • Connect the corner pins of the plate to pins 2, 3, 4, and 5.

2. Software Setup:

   • Install the required libraries: PID_v1, Servo.
   • Upload the provided code to the Arduino board.

3. Running the System:

   • Power on the Arduino.
   • The system will stabilize the ball in real-time.
   • Use the serial monitor to observe sensor readings and PID outputs.

Libraries Used

• PID_v1: For PID control.
• Servo: For controlling servo motors.

Key Parameters

• PID Gains:

  • X-axis: KpX = 0.5, KiX = 0.5, KdX = 0.00075
  • Y-axis: KpY = 0.5, KiY = 0.5, KdY = 0.00075

• Setpoints:

  • SetPointX = 490
  • SetPointY = 512

• Servo Limits:

  • Maximum angular displacement: 90 degrees