Fractional-order PID Control of an Aeropendulum Simulation Model

Fractional-order proportional - integral - derivative controllers (FOPID) have gained significant attention in control theory for their enhanced flexibility and robustness over traditional PID controllers. In this work, in order to design and experimentally validate FOPID controller, and compare its performance to a standard PID controller, a digital twin of an Arduino-based physical aeropendulum model "AeroShield" is developed in MATLAB-Simulink environment. Both controllers are used to control the Simulink model in a closed-loop control system and their performance is evaluated using the integral absolute error, peak overshoot, and settling time, proving the ability of the FOPID controller to better adapt to control the real system. Furthermore, based on the simulations, a C++ implementation of FOPID controller in the form of an open-source AutomationShield library, that provides the control of the AeroShield pendulum, was designed and published for the public. This study underscores the potential of fractional-order control systems in modern automation applications, bridging theoretical advancements with practical deployment.