
Proportional, Integral, Derivative Control
A control method that handles conditions like this is called proportional, integral,
derivative (PID). The basic concept behind PID control is to add another input to the
system, that input being the history of what actually happened when the control was
applied. In the cruise control example, instead of just applying the throttle based on
the amount of difference between the current speed and the desired speed (propor-
tional control), the control system can look at how the car responded to the last
throttle change. Did the car accelerate more slowly than it was expected to? Then it
must be driving uphill ...