This paper proposes and investigates the application of sliding mode control to the ball and plate problem. The nonlinear properties of the ball and plate control system are first presented. Then the experimental setup designed and built specifically for the purpose of this research is discussed. The paper then focuses on the implementation and thorough evaluation of the experimental results obtained with two different control schemes: the linear full-state feedback controller and the sliding mode controller. The latter control strategy was selected for its robust and order reduction properties. Finally the control performance of the two controllers is analysed. The sliding controller manages to obtain a faster and more accurate operation for continuously changing reference inputs. The robustness of the proposed control scheme is also verified, since the system's performance is shown to be insensitive to parameter variations.