Russ Tedrake · MIT · Course chapter

The Simple Pendulum

A worked dynamics example using a pendulum to build intuition about nonlinear behavior and control.

Source text reviewed October 27, 2026. Study notes and exercises are written by botstest.

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Where to start

Study the model and its parameters before interpreting the behavior plots.

Use it in your project

Vary one model parameter and compare state trajectories under the same initial conditions.

Scope and limitations

A simple teaching system, not a ready-to-deploy controller for a multi-joint robot.

Follow a related roadmap

Learn robot mathematics and control through experiments · Intermediate →

Read: Study the model and its parameters before interpreting the behavior plots.

Use a tractable dynamics model to explain measured behavior before adding more joints or a learned controller.

Produce: Compare a reference and measured state under two controller settings and the same start state.

Study locomotion and humanoid control · Beginner →

Read: Study the model and its parameters before interpreting the behavior plots.

Use a tractable dynamics model to explain measured behavior before adding more joints or a learned controller.

Produce: Identify state, control inputs and model parameters in a simple dynamics example before whole-body experiments.

Design an actuator and power integration project · Intermediate →

Read: Study the model and its parameters before interpreting the behavior plots.

Use a tractable dynamics model to explain measured behavior before adding more joints or a learned controller.

Produce: Use a model or supervised single-axis log to compare command direction, feedback and the expected response.