An architecture for real-time remote laboratories

The rapid spreading of broadband Internet access is enabling new methods of delivery for modern engineering and science curricula. This paper describes the design and implementation of a remote laboratory architecture, which allows the execution of experiments in real time. Contrary to previous remote-laboratory implementations based on a batch mode of operation, in this new system the students can interactively control the experiments and obtain the corresponding outputs (including raw data, data plots, video/audio streams and recordings) in an integrated browser-based user interface. Furthermore, this real-time system was designed in a platform-independent fashion such that it will facilitate its expansion beyond the boundaries of the original institution. A mechanical vibration setup is used to illustrate the system capabilities.