Remote laboratory explained

Remote laboratory (also known as online laboratory or remote workbench) is the use of telecommunications to remotely conduct real (as opposed to virtual) experiments, at the physical location of the operating technology, whilst the scientist is utilizing technology from a separate geographical location. Remote laboratory comprehends one or more remote experiments.^[1]

Additional references

For India's virtual labs project, see Virtual Labs (India). For the online project "Virtual Laboratory. Essays and Resources on the Experimentalization of Life, 1830-1930," see Virtual Laboratory. These resources provide further opportunities for virtual experimentation and historical insights into the development of experimental techniques.

Benefits

The benefits of remote laboratories are predominantly in engineering education:^[2]

• Relax time constraints, adapting to pace of each student, if there was insufficient time in lab
• Relax geographical constraints, disregarding the physical locality of the student
• Economies of scale, as sharing labs allows sharing of large fixed costs of traditional buildings
• Improve quality of experiment, as it can be repeated to clarify doubtful measurements in lab
• Improve effectiveness, as student may improve effectiveness of time spent at lab by rehearsal
• Improved safety and security, as no risk of catastrophic failure^[3]
• Learning Management systems this technology can be integrated into Moodle,^[4] one of the most used learning management system around the world.

Disadvantages

The disadvantages differ depending on the type of remote laboratory and the topic area.The general disadvantages compared to a proximal (hands on) laboratory are:

• Lack of hands on trouble shooting and debugging experience.
• Lack of equipment setup experience.
• Lack of collaboration with others.
• High setup cost for the host of the remote lab.

Types

There are several categories included that are labeled to clearly distinguish between different functions of the external links.

Future direction

Current system capabilities include:

• Online session booking, utilizing a database and online interface
• Authentication to satisfy security requirements
• Desktop, generalized screen for chat, emoticon, time limit, bandwidth limit
• Live lab camera which allows panning, tilting, zooming, showing, hiding, refresh
• Circuit builder (this is just simulative)
• Function generator (this is just simulative)
• Digital multimeter (this is just simulative)
• Oscilloscope (this is just simulative)

External links

Live-Streamed Resources

• Remote Experimentation Lab - RExLab
  • Online remote lab library belonging to the Federal University of Santa Catarina. Includes live and interactive labs on topics within physics and biology.
• LabsLand: global network of remote laboratories
  • A remote control to the real-world lab through the internet around the world (worldwide)
  • Give access to institutions around the world through their learning management systems
    • Give the instructors access to view the student's progress on their remote lab
• Netlab from the University of South Australia
  • Remote lab based in southern Australia, but you must create an account and schedule a time to use the remote lab
• Remote Labs in Modern Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara
• Remote Internet Lab GymKT (the Grammar-school of J. Vrchlicky), Klatovy - this site includes information in Czech.
  • The site contains real physics experiments that can be controlled via the internet browser. The users internet browser must have some services installed and enabled to access the experiment
• FARLabs
  • Online lab that provides 7 different remote lab curriculum; access to remote labs is currently only available to Australian students
• Labwork
  • Labwork is based in Hong Kong, China and provides participating educational institutions remote access to physical labs
• University of Deusto
  • Users have to create and register on the website in order to access the resources.
  • Access to Existing Labs: Through the wCloud system, educators can integrate remote lab experiences directly into their curricula without requiring additional software or hardware installations.
  • Creation of Custom Labs: Users can develop their own remote labs using WebLab-Deusto's open-source software.
  • Acquisition of Laboratories: WebLab-Deusto also facilitates the design and deployment of custom lab equipment, including the WebLab-Box and an LXI version of the VISIR remote laboratory.
• Internet microscope/Magnetic domain investigate, Physics Faculty, University at Białystok, Poland, since 1999
  • This is an open-access, internet lab.
  • It is a remote lab about magnetic domains. All processes are worked on real lab instruments.
  • It contains both some instructions for guidance and the interface to process the lab
  • Two languages available Polish and English
• https://www.lila-project.org/content/index.htmlLila - Library of Labs
  • The labs listed provide a variety of virtual and remote experimental setups focusing on statistical mechanics, combustion, thin films, and nanotechnology. They offer platforms for modeling, simulation, and data acquisition across disciplines like pharmacy, electrochemistry, atomic force microscopy, and dynamic system simulations.
  • Users have to contact the owner to use these remote experimental setups. However, they are free to use their online labs made through javascript.

Simulations

• Labshare
  • It is the kind of lab that uses online resources to do lab simulations and is not a real lab.
  • It connects manufacturers with laboratories and certification companies to accelerate the go-to-market.
  • Services include: Electromobility, Mobility, Electronics, and Medical devices
  • LabShare operates a worldwide ecosystem. Labs, certifiers, suppliers, experts, and consulting companies can access the LabShare ecosystem.
• Labster
  • It is a company that provides online lab simulations, not an actual lab that people can remotely control through web pages and apps.
  • It is designed for students to experience science and make science accessible to the students. Every simulation is designed by the scientist who works in that area, which is a very reliable science simulation.
  • Areas of simulation include Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and others.
• Remotely controlled lab from the Palacký University of Olomou
  • This website is a physics lab that allows the user to access and do the remote lab from anywhere in the world. It has 5 tabs, which include: Home; a description of the remote lab; remote experiments, and how these experiments allow for further increase one knowledge; Advantages, telling the users why the labs are crucial and beneficial; Chat, this tab is disabled; Links, these are the links to the actual lab and unfortunately the last 5 of them do not work.
• https://www.lila-project.org/content/index.htmlLila - Library of Labs
  • These JavaScript-based setups can be utilized when the primary remote experimental setups are occupied, ensuring continuous access to the experimentation resources.
  • The data they generate are also based on the real primary remote experimental setups with detailed lab instructions provided.

Code-Based Labs

• netCIRCUITlab
  • This website is about making a circuit online, the user has to create an account to be able to finish the circuit or even attempt to make one. This website requires some coding as making a circuit requires coding, so some knowledge of Java is necessary.
• Edrys
  • Edrys provides a free online learning platform that allows educators to create remote classrooms to connect with students. Educators can also use Edrys to provide students with remote and asynchronous access to their own in person labs
• Robotic DistanceLab
  • It is a collaborative platform for students and educators who use the HomeLab suite. Practical learning is promoted through practical examples of electronics, motor control and sensor integration, including the introduction of hardware and examples of procedures, and provides comprehensive learning materials and methods for the teaching and self-education of microcontroller technology.

Instruction Only Labs

• Free Open Online Labs
  • This link directs you to an informational website about a company where you can sign up for a tutor that will help you in a course. The website states that their training provides hands-on experience to learn through the labs.
• MIT iCampus iLabs from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and wiki
  • iCampus provides various project ideas and instructions for different kinds of labs for students to reference.
  • iCampus projects are chosen based on responses from MIT faculty to annual proposal requests. Additionally, iCampus has awarded over $1.5 million for projects conceived, initiated, and managed entirely by students.
• iSES internet School Experiment System
  • Provides students with ISES WEB Control kit for remote laboratories. They are written in javascript and can be accessed remotely through a browser. The javascript are used to control external physical labs.
• Online-Lab, Carinthia
  • Provides full educational lab frameworks for teachers to do with their students. They use their proprietary VISIR technology to be able to connect students to their online labs.
• International Conference on Remote Engineering and Virtual Instrumentation (REV)
  • The conference disseminates the latest research and developments through its proceedings and indexed publications.
  • A significant feature of the conference is its focus on instructional labs. These sessions are designed to provide practical, hands-on experience with new technologies and systems. Participants can learn directly from experts how to implement and utilize these technologies in their own educational settings.
  • STE maintains a mailing list. Subscribers to this list receive regular updates about conference details, calls for papers, keynote announcements, and other important information.

Additional Extensions and Resources

• Moodle EJSApp and Extensions Set for Virtual and Remote Laboratories
  • Plugin allowing for Java or Javascript remote lab code to be directly downloaded to a Moodle course.

Currently Nonfunctional or Inaccessible

• University Network of Interactive Labs Spanish Open University
  • Includes labs encompassing several topics within physics. Access requires the creation of an account which is currently nonfunctional.
• Remote Labs from the University of Technology Sydney
• iLabs from the University of Queensland
• UWA Telerobot - Site no longer exits (May 17, 2024)
• iLough-Lab, University of Loughborough **(link not working) as of 05/31/2024
• International Journal of Online Engineering **(link not working) as of 05/31/2024
• R-DSP Lab, University of Patras -
  • (link not working) as of 05/31/2024
  • Laboratory meetings used to be open 24 hours a day, allowing students to remotely verify their DSP applications, which were written in C or assembly language. An important function introduced by the R-DSP laboratory enabled students to remotely control their DSP applications through the GUI (graphical user interface) they developed. This function enhanced learning by allowing direct interaction with hardware through the control environment. - The related article
  • DSIP Lab, University of Patras - the current project they are working on after the R-DSP
    • It is now run by ECE department in University of Patras
    • This project now pivots into experiments about digital signaling, which is mostly about working on tools, not physics-related topics
• Remotely Controlled Laboratory, University of Technology Kaiserslautern
  • It is about experiment and education in physics. However, the education part is not available anymore. This website is now mainly used to show the research group's past articles and reviews from their experiments.
• VISIR (Virtual Instrument Systems In Reality) - Blekinge Institute of Technology - link not working as of 5/31/2024
• Remote Operation of Engineering Labs - University of Tennessee at Chattanooga - site not reached as of 5/31/2024

Notes and References

1. Callaghan, Harkin, Maguire (2007). "Paradigms in Remote Experimentation", International Journal of Online Engineering (iJOE), Vol 3, No 4 (2007)Paradigms in Remote Experimentation
2. Ferreira, Sousa, Nafalski, Machotka, Nedic (2010). "Collaborative learning based on amicro-webserver remote test controller", Bridgeport, University of South Australia, p. 10. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/143398589.pdf
3. "The Pros and Cons of Remote Labs" NC State University
4. https://moodle.org/plugins/view.php?plugin=mod_ejsapp EJSApp Moodle Plugin