Integrating Mixed-Reality Remote Experiments Into Virtual Learning Environments Using Interchangeable Components

Abstract

Abstract-This paper presents a proposal to integrate mixedreality remote experiments into virtual learning environments (VLEs) using the concept of interchangeable components, which can represent either real or virtual devices or software in industrial automation systems. Combinations of real and virtual technical plants and automation systems are used in different learning scenarios for teaching control and automation concepts. Configurations of interchangeable components can be dynamically created via a VLE by configuring database parameters. The proposed system includes a remote Web interface that follows a thin client strategy and is designed to be compatible with Web browsers, including basic Java support. As the architecture that supports the integration of virtual and real components is located on the server side, remote students/users are only concerned with the experiment and do not need to be aware of the system that provides this integration and flexibility. In the current version, interchangeable components are integrated via an Object Linking and Embedding for Process Control interface, which is a widely adopted standard in the control and automation area. The proposed approach also provides practical and theoretical support for experiments within a collaborative virtual environment. This paper includes a description of four experiments developed using the proposed environment and concepts.Index Terms-Collaborative work, computer-aided engineering, educational technology, learning systems.

Design, programming and orchestration of heterogeneous manufacturing systems through VR-powered remote collaboration

“…The red head floating on the left side symbolizes the operator sitting next to the real robot at Óbuda University. 24 …”

“…24 In this system, the URDF-based VirCA model of an electro-mechanical processing station (FESTO Didactic 25 ) is considered as virtual plant, while the corresponding PLC software was developed in a Siemens SIMATIC STEP 7 environment. The communication between VirCA and the native PLC environment was established via an OPC server and an application-specific OPC client that acts as an interface between the OPC server and the virtual plant in VirCA.…”

“…This growth of industrial virtualization is generating new directions in numerous research domains, such as Remote laboratories [20][21][22]. Mixing virtual and physical realities [23][24][25]. System of systems [26,27].…”

Interactive mixed reality for collaborative remote laboratories

“…[16] propose a "learning-material module". Depending on the logged user, different kind of operations are allowed.…”

Real-Time Power Electronics Remote Wiring and Measurement Laboratory (PermLAB) Using 3-D Matrix Switching Algorithms

“…One of the major drawbacks in most of the references cited is the dependency on specialized software and virtual instrumentation [18]- [19]. Some Web applications such as "computer based training" (CBT) and "computer assisted learning" have been developed to take over part of the teaching-learning process [20].…”