PID Drone Control Simulator

EE 250 — Introduction to Distributed Systems for Internet of Things · University of Southern California

Start Here

  1. Click Play to start the simulation. The drone hovers at the center with wind disturbing it.
  2. Try the "No Control" preset — watch the drone drift helplessly in the wind.
  3. Switch to "P-Only" — the drone fights back but oscillates around the target.
  4. Add derivative control with "PD Control" — oscillations dampen, but wind causes a steady-state offset.
  5. Enable "PID Tuned" — the integral term eliminates the offset. The drone holds position.
  6. Click anywhere on the canvas to set a new target. Adjust sliders to experiment!
PID Gains
Wind
Gusty Wind
Drone
Presets
Simulation
How PID Works

P — Proportional

Responds to the current error. Higher Kp means faster response, but too much causes oscillation.

I — Integral

Responds to accumulated error over time. Eliminates steady-state offset caused by persistent disturbances like wind.

D — Derivative

Responds to the rate of change of error. Damps oscillation and reduces overshoot for smoother convergence.

Position Error vs Time

Control Signal vs Time