Stability concerns for closed-loop systems

Question

I came across the statement

Stability is a big problem in closed-loop systems, where a system may tend in some instances to overcorrect errors and cause oscillations.

I wish to know some examples in real life of such occurrence to better understand this statement.

$\begingroup$ Pointing a microphone into a loudspeaker. $\endgroup$
– Hilmar
Sep 1, 2021 at 18:17 — Hilmar, Sep 1, 2021 at 18:17
$\begingroup$ This is an interesting example @Hilmar $\endgroup$
– SPARSE
Sep 1, 2021 at 18:18 — SPARSE, Sep 1, 2021 at 18:18

Marcus Müller · Accepted Answer · 2021-09-01 17:39:59Z

2

Person driving car.

Deer entering road.

Person turning the steering wheel sharply to avoid deer.

Person turning the steering wheel sharply to get back on track, overshooting in their response.

Car going for a lithobreaking with the local roadside geologic environment.

answered Sep 1, 2021 at 17:39

Marcus Müller

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$\begingroup$ Thank you very much for this interesting example in our daily life $\endgroup$
– SPARSE
Sep 1, 2021 at 18:18
$\begingroup$ I sure hope it's not too daily in your life! $\endgroup$
– Marcus Müller
Sep 1, 2021 at 20:24
$\begingroup$ The beauty of physics is more overwhelming than the tragedy that might occur... when the human body braces itself for a car that will wipe our existence way as our soulless body defies gravity for a short period of time and then our body (in pieces) will achieve stability as we reach equilibrium. @Marcus Müller $\endgroup$
– SPARSE
Sep 1, 2021 at 20:44
$\begingroup$ Another interesting example are pilot induced oscillations, such as this one. So even if as system with no pilot in the loop is stable it can still occur that adding a pilot to the loop can cause oscillations or even instability. $\endgroup$
– fibonatic
Sep 2, 2021 at 21:02

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