Internet Accessible Remote Laboratories

The frenzy of global commerce is leading to a shortage of technical expertise, a sharing of resources, and ever increasing demands for efficiency that are forcing companies to employ an increasing degree of remote control in day-to-day operations. Computer and electrical engineers here describe systems that allow student and practicing engineers to use distant laboratories over the Internet, focusing on laboratories that have physical equipment, rather than those that use simulation. They cover case studies, best practices, and pedagogy of teaching with remote laboratories; system architecture, design, and interfaces; policy issues; and future trends. Among the topics are the collaborative development and utilization of Internet laboratories in East Africa, the role of Internet-accessible laboratory plants in teaching automatic control, online workbenches for deploying electronics experiments, developing remote labs for challenged educational environments, and towards an immersive virtual environment for physics experiments supporting collaborative settings in higher education. Annotation c2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)