The principles demonstrated by the Quanser 3 DOF Gyroscope are relevant in technologies used to control orientation in sea, air and space vehicles. Extensive applications of the 3 DOF Gyroscope include altitude control, momentum wheel control, navigation, satellite orientation and auto-pilot systems. Furthermore, gyroscopic sensors are now found in a wide range of technical devices such as smart phones, tablets, video game controllers, and so on. Your students can cultivate a deep understanding of control theories through real-life applications.
The 3 DOF Gyroscope consists of a disk mounted inside an inner gimbal which in turn is mounted inside an outer gimbal. The entire structure is supported by a rectangular frame that is free to rotate about its vertical axis of using a slip ring design. The gimbals are also equipped with slip rings, allowing them to rotate freely and giving the disk three degrees of freedom. The plant is equipped with four DC motors and four encoders, with the ability to fix individual axis. Axes positions are measured using high-resolution optical encoders. Although the gimbals and outer frame are free to rotate, the plant provides the ability to fix any desired axis (outer frame, red and blue gimbals).
The following additional components are required to complete your workstation, and are sold separately:
The 3 DOF Helicopter experiment provides a benchtop model of a Tandem rotor helicopter. It can be used to understand and develop control laws for a vehicle that has dynamics representative of a dual rotor rigid body helicopter, or any device with similar dynamics.
The 3 DOF Hover experiment provides an economical testbed to understand and develop control laws for flight dynamics and control of vehicles with vertical lift-off.
The 2 DOF Inverted Pendulum/Gantry module is ideal to introduce more advanced principles of robotics. You can use it to demonstrate real-world control challenges encountered in aerospace engineering applications, such as rocket stabilization during takeoff.
