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Related Concept Videos

Open and closed-loop control systems01:17

Open and closed-loop control systems

Control systems are foundational elements in automation and engineering. They are broadly categorized into open-loop and closed-loop systems. These classifications hinge on the presence or absence of feedback mechanisms, significantly influencing the system's performance, complexity, and application.
An open-loop control system operates without feedback from the output. It consists of two primary elements: the controller and the controlled process. The controller receives an input signal and...
Motor Units00:46

Motor Units

A motor unit consists of two main components: a single efferent motor neuron (i.e., a neuron that carries impulses away from the central nervous system) and all of the muscle fibers it innervates. The motor neuron may innervate multiple muscle fibers, which are single cells, but only one motor neuron innervates a single muscle fiber.
Motor Units01:13

Motor Units

The motor unit is a fundamental component of the neuromuscular system and plays a crucial role in coordinating muscle contractions. It consists of a somatic motor neuron, which connects and controls multiple skeletal muscle fibers, forming a single functional segment. The axon of the motor neuron branches out and establishes synaptic connections known as neuromuscular junctions with individual muscle fibers within the motor unit.
Motor units come in different sizes, with smaller units...
Electro-mechanical Systems01:19

Electro-mechanical Systems

Electromechanical systems are intricate configurations that effectively combine electrical and mechanical elements to achieve a desired outcome. Central to many of these systems is the DC motor, a device that converts electrical energy into mechanical motion, enabling various applications ranging from simple fans to complex robotic mechanisms.
A key component of the DC motor is the armature, a rotating circuit positioned within a magnetic field. As an electric current passes through the...
Torque01:10

Torque

Torque is an important quantity for describing the dynamics of a rotating rigid body. We see the application of torque in many ways in the world, such as when pressing the accelerator in a car, which causes the engine to apply additional torque on the drivetrain. Here, we define torque and provide a framework to create an equation to calculate torque for a rigid body with fixed-axis rotation.
Torque can be considered as the rotational counterpart to force. Since forces change the translational...
Motor Unit Stimulation01:20

Motor Unit Stimulation

When the neuron of a motor unit fires an action potential, it triggers a series of events, leading to a twitch contraction in the muscle fibers. The process of excitation-contraction coupling is crucial in relaying the action potential to the muscle fibers.
The latent period of contraction marks the onset of excitation-contraction coupling, when the action potential propagates across the sarcolemma, preparing the muscle fibers for contraction. As the fibers enter the contraction phase, the...

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The Modular Design and Production of an Intelligent Robot Based on a Closed-Loop Control Strategy
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OpenMCT: an open-source DC motor control educational kit.

Alejandro Von Chong1,2, Salvador Vargas1,2, Jean-François Duhé3

  • 1School of Electrical Engineering, Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá, Víctor Levi Sasso Campus, Panama City, Panama.

Hardwarex
|June 3, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

OpenMCT is a low-cost, open-source kit for DC motor control, enhancing student engagement with hands-on experiments. It bridges theory and practice in control engineering education.

Keywords:
Control theoryDC motorEducational hardware

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Area of Science:

  • Control Engineering Education
  • Mechatronics Systems

Background:

  • Traditional control engineering courses often prioritize mathematical theory over practical application, potentially reducing student engagement.
  • A gap exists in accessible, hands-on tools for teaching real-world control system concepts.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce OpenMCT, an open-source, low-cost educational kit for DC motor control.
  • To facilitate hands-on experiments in actuation, sensing, sampling, and real-time control execution.
  • To integrate practical engineering topics like drive electronics and filtering into control education.

Main Methods:

  • The OpenMCT kit features a DC motor, encoder, current sensing, H-bridge, and a Teensy 4 microcontroller.
  • A Python/Qt GUI enables configuration, telemetry, data logging, and controller tuning (PID, z-domain).
  • Validation follows standard control workflow: calibration, system identification, controller design, and deployment.

Main Results:

  • Experimental results confirm that system identification and closed-loop responses align with GUI analysis and simulations.
  • The kit successfully enables practical exploration of control engineering principles.
  • Students gain experience with hardware integration and software control implementation.

Conclusions:

  • OpenMCT provides an effective platform for hands-on control engineering education, improving student engagement.
  • The kit bridges the gap between theoretical control concepts and practical system implementation.
  • It supports a comprehensive learning workflow from system identification to controller deployment.