Web-Based Scalable Intelligent Multimedia Virtual Laboratory for Power Engineering

Abstract

Saroj Biswas is a Professor of Electrical and ComputerEngineering at Temple University specializing in electrical machines and power systems, multimedia tutoring, and control and optimization of dynamic systems. He has been the principle investigator of a project for the development of an intelligent tutoring shell that allows instructors create their own web-based tutoring system. His current research focuses on security of cyber-physical systems based on multiagent framework with applications to the power grid, and the integration of an intelligent virtual laboratory environment in curriculum. He is an associate editor of Dynamics of Continuous, Discrete and Impulsive Systems: Series B, and is a member of IEEE, ASEE, and Sigma Xi. WEB BASED SCALABLE INTELLIGENT MULTIMEDIA VIRTUAL LABORATORY FOR POWER ENGINEERING AbstractA laboratory practicum is considered a key component of engineering education. However a hands-on approach is often ignored for courses involving electrical machines because of safety issues, expenses, and lack of qualified teaching assistants. This paper presents the planning and development of a web-based application that can simulate a virtual laboratory for electric machines. This Virtual Power Laboratory 1 (VPL) is developed on a universal web-based platform that can be accessed anywhere by most mobile devices and modern computers. As a proof of concept, nine virtual experiments have been developed for DC motors and generators. Machine concepts are summarized using text, 2D and 3D graphics as well as multimedia animation. The animated graphical user interface (GUI) plays an important role as it enables students to review and retain basic concepts by building a bridge from the virtual environment to the real laboratory. Multimedia is employed in order to provide visual guidance to the students for better understanding of machines. Once completed, students will be guided and supervised by an intelligent tutor as they learn basic concepts, answer pre-laboratory questions, practice in virtual experiments and compose laboratory reports.

An Intelligent Tutoring System for Multimedia Virtual Power Laboratory

“…Its goal is to complement a hands-on laboratory but to be realistic enough to provide a satisfactory experience to students who do not have access to a physical laboratory. VPL is developed on a universal web-based platform that can be accessed anywhere by most mobile devices and modern computers 6,7 . As a proof of concept, nine virtual experiments have been developed for DC motors and generators.…”

“…The VPL is an important development for students with physical handicaps as it allows access to a "lab" that might otherwise be unavailable. Recent advances of mobile devices with touch screen and fast wireless capabilities have made it possible to develop intelligent multimedia virtual tutoring systems that can be accessed by people with motor disabilities This paper presents the implementation of an Intelligent Tutoring System on Virtual Power Laboratory (VPL) 6,7 (http://vpl.temple.edu) that was developed in previous years. The virtual laboratory is supervised by a virtual Intelligent Tutor that can answer students' questions, track their progress and monitor actions as they perform experiments, and if necessary, guides the student with correct actions.…”

“…Section 3 summarizes the authors' previous work 6,7 on the development of VPL. The architecture of the Intelligent Tutoring System is presented in Section 4.…”