Agile two-wheeled robot

About the project

The robot balances itself, drives over uneven terrain and overcomes obstacles. An LQI controller on an STM32 microcontroller keeps it balanced, and a movable upper body allows fast manoeuvres.

A two-wheeled robot is inherently unstable – much like an inverted pendulum. Without constant action by the controller it would topple over, so the controller has to measure and correct the tilt many times a second.

How it works

1. Sensors measure the body tilt and the motion of the wheels.
2. The LQI controller (linear-quadratic controller with an integral term) on an STM32 microcontroller computes the motor torque that keeps the robot upright and eliminates the steady-state error.
3. The movable upper body shifts the centre of gravity and lets the robot make fast manoeuvres and overcome obstacles.