Control systems lab using a LEGO Mindstorms NXT motor system

This paper introduces a low-cost LEGO Mindstroms NXT motor system (for short, LEGO motor system) for teaching classical and modern control theories in standard third-year undergraduate courses. The LEGO motor system in conjunction with Matlab, Simulink and several necessary toolboxes can be used to demonstrate: (1) a modelling technique; (2) PID (proportional-integral-differential) control; (3) state feedback control and estimator design. This paper describes the use of these demonstrations during three lab sessions, and illustrates their usefulness for helping students to understand the modelling and control systems theories.