OSU Progress:

To understand the progress we have made in developing inexpensive control systems laboratories, please first study:

• OSU ECE 5557 Control Systems Implemenation Laboratory
• OSU Distributed Dynamical Systems Laboratory

Next, note that the individual modules for the balls-in-tubes, planar temperature grid, smart lights, and building temperature control experiments in the Distributed Dynamical Systems Laboratory can be used as stand-alone single-input single-output control systems experiments. Costs per module for each of these is about:

• Ball-in-tube (level control): <$40
• Temperature zone (from planar grid): <$2
• Temperature zone (from building): <$3
• Smart lights: <$2

Support materials for these experiments are at the above sites. We are now trying to design other inexpensive experiments. As explained at the ECE 5557 site, the modules can be connected to create significantly challenging distributed networked control system experiments, ones appropriate for graduate education and research.

Other University's Progress:

• Planar temperature control, version 2, produced at Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia

Ideas:

• Ideas for additional control system experiments are given here.
• Also, consider a water purification control system experiment, and some ideas for that are given here.

Challenges:

One of the more expensive parts of the laboratory are computers and data acquisistion. We are now working on evaluating the range of strategies that could be used for this. We will report here if we come up with a nice solution, beyond what is relatively obvious from existing technologies (like NI/LabVIEW or dSPACE).

We are trying to involve other universities in development and sharing of results.

For more information contact: passino@ece.osu.edu