Magnetic Levitation

I was approached to develop a system for students to use for a classical controls class final project. I designed, prototyped, documented and then distributed a magnetic levitation system which could be used by students to engage in developing real control systems. The initial prototype (shown above) was built to test the concept and implement a basic control strategy.

 

Then, after developing and testing on this platform I designed a more refined system for the students to use with some additional features I wish I had when developing the control scheme myself, such as built in electromagnet control, hardware signal amplification, gain center control, and analog inputs to set values in real time. I built a custom PCB and laser-cuttable mechanical system, and assisted 20 students in building and testing their own magnetic levitation systems.