A Low-Cost 3-DOF Helicopter Platform for Control Education: Integrating Digital Twins and Hardware-in-the-Loop

Abstract

This study presents the design and implementation of a low-cost 3-degree-of-freedom (3-DOF) helicopter platform aimed at strengthening control education through the integration of digital twins (DTs) and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) systems in a Rapid Control Prototyping (RCP) framework. The methodology consisted of first modeling and understanding the nonlinear dynamics of the system, and then building the physical platform using a Raspberry Pi Zero W and a 3D-printed structure, enabling both affordability and a carry-it-home (CIH) approach. Once constructed, the platform was calibrated to match its DT, after which pole placement and Linear-Quadratic-Gaussian (LQG) controllers were designed, simulated, and tested on both the DT and the HIL setup. To assess the educational impact, pre- and post-course questionnaires were applied to gather students' perceptions and expectations. The results indicate that the experience not only improved comprehension of feedback control concepts but also provided a more comprehensive and practical understanding of DT and RCP technologies.