1. About the project

As part of the project focusing on developing the education of mechatronics in summer 2018, a small series of linear actuators for Arduino boards and similar devices was needed. The problem with this solution was the lack of proper ways to demonstrate PID-control. By using linear actuators with feedback, PID-control can be visualized in the course exercises better and there will be an experience of adjusting the PID-parameters for the students.


Maybe the most interesting part of this project was the fact that unlike other educational devices built in a 2018 project, this was to be done in a small series of multiple similar actuators. The size of the series was limited to five mainly due to the number of linear potentiometers available at the time. The number was also suitable for the course exercises, where the number of teams is often four or five.


Compared to other projects, the cost of the parts was relatively low, with a few parts bought and all of the mechanical parts 3d-printed. This makes an actuator like this a reasonable choice if linear movement is needed in an Arduino project. The last chapter of this documentation contains instructions for building a similar device.