The Machina: An Ecosystem of Control System Experiments

Students often struggle to connect the theory and abstractions in their first Automatic Control Systems course with the real systems represented by that theory. This disconnect poses a problem not only for later application of control systems, but also for coherent and effective learning of the theoretical material itself. To address this problem, a series of five hands-on experiments and demonstrations were developed, known collectively as the Machina (Latin for machine). This paper describes the easily portable hardware used in these experiments and maps their use in developing control theory. A brief discussion is also provided for how these experiments are threaded throughout the undergraduate curriculum to prepare students for their senior-year course in Control Systems.