Implementation of a Remote Laboratory Accessible Through the Web

Abstract

In spite of the big crisis of the years 2000, Internet has continued to grow. The broadband has reached more and more people all around the world and the used technology are always more dynamic and user friendly. The worldwide distribution of the Net joined with the simplicity of information sharing has created new economical and social models in several fields. The methodology of learning, which is a primary form of information and knowledge sharing, was also significantly involved in such a process, evolving in what the E-learning paradigm. At the beginning, E-learning enabled users to share E-books, web pages with exercises and have simple chats with the teachers. Then, videoconferences and virtual desktops were introduced to improve the learning experience of the students. Today, the Internet can also be exploited to conduct actual experiments on physical devices available in remote locations. This approach is twofold. From one hand, students can access remote physical devices from anywhere and at any time, conduct longer experiments and compare different approaches among various laboratories. On the other side, scientists and technicians can collaborate from different locations by running joint experiments from their own office on large and expensive equipment, reducing travel costs and allowing observation of results to other people in real time.