Internet has advanced significantly with the aid of electronics and communication technologies. This allows us to undertake ambitious activities over the Internet, which are unthinkable even few years back. With this new scenario, performing experiments that involve real hardware remotely over the web is now a reality. Controlling hardware experiments remotely is labeled as remote laboratory. Considering the complexities of technologies involved with remote laboratories, hardware experimental systems need to be customized before they can be integrated within a remote laboratory system. One such system is a mobile robot that can be used for various student learning laboratory activities. This paper reports the customizing of a commercial mobile robot known as RoombaCreate® so that it can be integrated within a remote laboratory facility. The process involves automated movement with obstacles avoidance, wireless control, real-time video, and control over the web.

No abstract

He has a Ph.D. in Control and Systems Engineering and M.Sc. and B.Sc. in Electronics Engineering. He has been in academics for 15+ years, and his research interests include remote laboratories, mechatronic systems, mobile robotics, and educational research. In these areas, Dr. Azad has over 100 refereed journal and conference papers, edited books, and book chapters. So far, he has attracted around $1.7M of research and development grants from various national and international funding agencies. He is a member of the editorial board for a number of professional journals as well as an Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Online Engineering. He is active with various professional organizations (IEEE, IET, ASEE, and ISA) as well as a member of board of Trustees of CLAWAR Association. He has served as Chair and Co-Chairs of numerous conferences and workshops, in addition to serving on the program committees of around 30 international conferences. Dr. Azad is a project proposal reviewer with various national and international funding agencies in US, Europe, and Australia.