Comparative Experiences in Remote Automation Laboratories with Real Plants

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in remote learning courses. In some disciplines, including PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) automation, doing laboratory practice ‘at home’ with all the required material is difficult. In these cases, the possibility of doing laboratory practice remotely is of especial interest. We can use simulators to make an applet that simulates a PLC, but we discarded this because the students saw the practices as very artificial and unrealistic and hence their motivation decreased. In this paper, we describe how we have tried several possibilities of remote PLC programming and how their advantages and drawbacks have been analysed.

Mathematical Modeling of Electrical Circuits and Practical Works of Increasing Difficulty with Classical Spreadsheet Software

“…Thanks to its availability [38], usefulness and usability [39], and acceptance [40], students are more engaged in the lab. This experience is also reported to be challenging and interesting, and students declare having learned more than expected in comparative experiences conducted by Boix, Gomis, Montesinos, Galceran, and Sudrià [41]. They also declared a gain in curiosity and motivation, compared to what would have been the case with a hands-on practical work in a study performed by Jara, Candelas, Puente, and Torres [42].…”

Web-based system in mechatronics learning: Views of undergraduate engineering students

“…30 The 9 items were arranged to form a Likert-type scale with a five-point spread. Participant scoring options were: (1) strongly disagree, (2) disagree, (3) unsure, (4) agree, and (5) strongly agree.…”

“…A survey questionnaire to record students’ perceptions, in a format used successfully elsewhere, was completed by 226 students (72 in 2008, 78 in 2009, and 76 in 2010). 30 The 9 items were arranged to form a Likert-type scale with a five-point spread. Participant scoring options were: (1) strongly disagree, (2) disagree, (3) unsure, (4) agree, and (5) strongly agree.…”

Design, simulation and virtual implementation of a novel fundamental programmable logic controllers laboratory in a 3D virtual world

“…11 Automation, which is an engineering discipline involving industrial instruments rather than a simple control system, 7 requires programmable logic controllers (PLC). Even though remote and web-based laboratories have been established for PLC training in various studies, 1,7,36,37 in these studies, real PLC, space, energy supply, connections and similar physical equipments are required for PLCs to work. In this study, virtual PLC programming for synchronous and asynchronous PLC training in SL, virtual simulation of this program, and virtual implementation can be done in the laboratory environment created by 3D virtual sensors, buttons, lamps and conveyor belts.…”