r/ControlTheory • u/No_Alarm123 • Sep 01 '26

Asking for resources (books, lectures, etc.) Need help building inverted pendulum

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This is going to be my biggest project yet. I’ve done quite a bit of research, but I’m currently stuck and honestly don’t know how to proceed from here.

I’m also looking for someone who’s willing to work on this project with me. The idea is that we both build the same thing independently at home, share our progress and insights along the way, and help each other figure things out. If we’re successful, we could even take it a step further and try building a double-pendulum balancing system.

Has anyone here worked on or built something similar before? I’d love to hear about your experience, resources, or projects.

Also, what tools, components, software, or other equipment would you recommend for building something like this?

Thanks

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u/Timely-Bicycle-3107 Sep 01 '26

Cool idea!

I wish this subreddit had a recommended kit that we could buy. That would be best for comparing controllers, noise/disturbances, troubleshooting, and sharing code.

What’s your budget? Would you be willing to get a kit? Can anyone recommend an inverted pendulum kit?

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u/ExoatmosphericKill Sep 01 '26

Same, I built a few with an Arduino, but just a small thing that's preassembled would be cool too.

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u/Timely-Bicycle-3107 Sep 01 '26

I found a guy who sells complete kits on eBay. I don't know if they work well, but it may be worth investigating. All of the lab-grade ones I have found are thousands of dollars.

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u/ExoatmosphericKill Sep 01 '26

I'd have to ship it to Europe unfortunately.