Control is present in everyday life from a person exerting control over the velocity of a car via the accelerator and brake, to mechanically controlling a lift. The ball and beam system is an unstable system that requires control theory for stabilisation. In order to stabilise this system, we need to design and implement a controller that will adjust the beam so that the ball will return to a set equilibrium position. This system is a basic control system though it has elements of the more complex systems in industry. Even though control is widely used throughout the world, there is still much to research on in order to achieve more efficient controllers.

Anjaly Sharma Ram, Associate Professor Dragan Nesic, Angela Sonneman