A Segway is a personal transport device that exploits an innovative combination of computer science, electronics, and mechanics. It functions as an extension of the body; as with a partner in a dance, it is able to anticipate every move. The operating principle is based on the reverse pendulum system. The reverse pendulum system is an example commonly found in textbooks on control and research literature. Its popularity derives in part from the fact that it is unstable without control and has a non-linear dynamic, but above all, because it has several practical applications, such as controlling a takeoff rocket or a Segway.
In this chapter, we will analyze the functioning of a physical system made by connecting a rigid rod to a cart, modeling the system using different approaches. The rod is connected through a pivot...
