Cart-Pole Control Design for a self-driving car
Built for k-12 students learning it in middle or high school. Watch the idea come alive with plain-language steps and everyday examples — perfect for projects and homework. Simulate a self-driving car live below — adjust the inputs and watch it respond, right in your browser.
Controls
Presets
Balancing a pole on a moving cart is the classic control benchmark. A state-feedback controller senses the pole angle and cart position and pushes the cart to keep the pole upright. Turn the controller off and it topples instantly; add disturbance to test how hard it can fight back.
Data Inspector
Governing equation
Runs locally in your browser — free forever. Scale to the cloud when reality gets heavy.
Controls
Presets
A PID controller drives a system to its setpoint using three terms: proportional reacts to the current error, integral eliminates steady-state offset, and derivative damps overshoot. Tuning the three gains trades off speed, overshoot, and stability — the workhorse of industrial control.
Data Inspector
Governing equation
Runs locally in your browser — free forever. Scale to the cloud when reality gets heavy.
More with Cart-Pole Control Design
Frequently asked questions
- Is this good for k-12 students?
- Yes — this version of "Cart-Pole Control Design for a self-driving car" is framed for k-12 students learning it in middle or high school. Watch the idea come alive with plain-language steps and everyday examples — perfect for projects and homework.
- Do I need to install anything?
- No. It runs in any modern browser, free, with no account required.