Web-based remote experimentation using a laboratory-scale optical tracker

Abstract

This contribution presents a remote laboratory approach for experimentation with real plants, which uses the commu- nication techniques of the World Wide Web. The aim of this kind of distance learning environment is to facilitate the access to these plants for students and professionals in the area of control engineering. Furthermore, resource sharing among the involved universities reduces money and time for maintenance or development of new experi- ments. The new approach for remote experimentation in- corporates software that uses the powerful computational engine of MATLAB/SIMULINK together with the Quanser's WinCon real-time system to perform the experiments. Web-based components are used to support the user inter- face by animation of plant models in virtual reality. A labo- ratory-scale optical tracker will be used in order to demon- strate the advantages of the realisation of this remote labo- ratory approach.