Design and Development of a Remote Lab for Hands-On Education in Mechatronics and Control Engineering

Abstract

Demonstrators expand the theoretical lectures of control engineering by a practical hands-on experience to teach students the implementation and effects of a control algorithm and demonstrate the range of field starting with a mathematical model and ending with a controlled system. For this purpose, remotely controlled laboratories (RCL) are an effective alternative to supervised laboratories due to their advantages in 24/7 accessibility and interactivity as well as their low labor consumption. At the Institute of Mechatronic Systems (imes) a RCL was developed to extend the range of courses with a motivating and application-oriented laboratory. It was designed considering minimal latency remote control as well as portability to other environments with different testbeds and different learning management systems. To increase students’ motivation a challenge and ranking system has been implemented. For each task a challenge is created with a criterion of optimisation and students compare themselves with their fellow students by an up-to-date ranking.