nhuang@vela.acs.oakland.edu (Ningjian Huang) (05/09/90)
We have developed a Cart-Pole Control System Real-Time Animation Simulator. It is a software package for IBM PC with EGA/VGA board. It performs the followings in REAL TIME : . Digital simulation of the control system time response . Graphical engineering plots of the simulation results . Graphical animation of the physical cart-pole motion. The simulator supports dynamics and control system courses in terms of: . Visual interpretation of dynamic system mathematical models . Variation of dynamics characteristics via simple program modification . Evaluation of control design and performance . Analysis of system parameter variation . Low-cost low-maintenance software . Multiple setups for simulation station. The simulator was exhibited at the 1989 EDUCOM Software Showcase. It is also used in the course of Optimal Control at School of Engineering and Computer Science, Oakland University, Michigan. It is proved to be a useful tool to design different controllers, such as optimal controller, neural controller, intelligent controller (by applying some AI techniques) and so on. It will enhance the students or the researchers interests by showing the dynamic results through real-time graphical animation, instead of digits or curves only. Anyone interested in the simulator may contact me through e-mail at nhuang@vela.acs.oakland.edu