Week 1 Slide Template: Introduction to Feedback Control

Slide 1 — Title

Applied Control Systems: Introduction to Feedback Control

Slide 2 — Learning goals

By the end of this lecture, students should be able to define open-loop and closed-loop control, identify the main components of a feedback loop, and explain why feedback is useful in engineering systems.

Slide 3 — Motivation

Control systems are used in robotics, automation, manufacturing, vehicles, drones, medical devices, and energy systems.

Slide 4 — Open-loop control

An open-loop controller sends a command without measuring the output.

Example: A toaster heats for a fixed time.

Slide 5 — Closed-loop control

A closed-loop controller measures the output and corrects the command using feedback.

Example: A motor speed controller uses encoder feedback.

Slide 6 — Feedback loop components

Reference, error, controller, actuator, plant, sensor, output, disturbance.

Slide 7 — Error signal

error = reference - measured output

The controller uses the error to decide the control action.

Slide 8 — Engineering example

Reference motor speed = 1000 rpm. Measured speed = 850 rpm. Error = 150 rpm.

Slide 9 — Class activity

Draw the feedback loop for a line-following robot.

Slide 10 — Summary

Feedback improves accuracy and disturbance rejection, but poor controller design can cause oscillation or instability.