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Master the Proportional-Integral-Derivative algorithm that keeps drones hovering and factories running
Part of Control Systems: Teaching Machines To React & Adapt
Educational content slides
PID stands for Proportional-Integral-Derivative.
Sounds scary. It's actually three simple ideas working together:
P: React to current error ("I'm 5° too cold")
I: Account for accumulated error ("I've been too cold for 10 minutes")
D: Predict future error ("I'm warming up fast, ease off")
This 1920s algorithm still runs drones, factories, cruise control, and spacecraft. Why? Because it works incredibly well.
Test your understanding with this quiz.
A drone hovers but drifts slowly to the left over time. Which PID term is probably too weak?
Complete this exercise and get AI-powered feedback.
PID is everywhere in the physical world. Start recognizing the symptoms of poorly-tuned control.
Spotting bad tuning is the first step to fixing it.