Building Reusable Remote Labs with Adaptable Client User-Interfaces

Abstract

Nowadays remote laboratories suffer the absence of reusability. In addition, their construction and maintenance require time, money and skills. The system implementation of a specific remote lab is neither generic nor reusable. In this paper, a solution for a reusable remote lab dedicated for disparate types of scientific and engineering experiments is presented. The experiment designer needs only to connect the experiment components and equipment such as capacitors, resistors, transistors, function generators with a switch system of a lab server, then, she/he has to map this connection structure in a configuration data structure. Once a student starts the Web-based client user-interface and logs-in into the lab server, the menu structure of the graphical user-interface builds and initializes itself automatically, using information stored in a configuration data structure. This contribution discusses some hitherto used lab servers, some of their drawbacks, the desirable requirements on a universal remote lab, which simplify the building process of newer lab experiments consisting of experiment components and equipment as well as a client user-interface that could enable students to remotely access the experiment.

Current Trends in Remote and Virtual Lab Engineering. Where are we in 2013?

“…According to authors in [34], [56][57][58] a more generalized approach is necessary to establish a wider use of remote labs in research and education. One important step in this direction is the development of a common language for the lab integration [59] as well as a comprehensive soft-and hardware toolbox including documentation for automated plug and play distribution of remote and virtual labs gives an overview of different types of online accessible labs.…”

A Componentizable Server-Side Framework for Building Remote and Virtual Laboratories

“…An inspection of the features and capabilities of VRL reveals that there are some basic services and applications shared by all the LCS such as the management of users and lab resources, lab reservation, the scheduling, control and monitoring of experiments or experimental sessions with laboratory system. Most of the applications are developed specifically for every LCS, instead of developing generic components that should be integrated into laboratory system, making difficult the reusability of LCS [12].…”

“…One of the major shortcomings of a VRL or an online lab system is the reusability [12]. The most of VRLs are developed for a specific type of laboratory instruments, requiring a new development from scratch for every new lab system.…”

A Two-Stage Assessment of the Remote Engineering Lab VISIR at Al-Quds University in Palestine

“…However, they lack hands-on troubleshooting and debugging experience, and lack equipment setup experience. The boundaries among the three categories are blurred in the sense that most labs are mediated by computers, and that the psychology of presence may be as important as technology [5].…”