Experiment Overview - NUS Internet Remote Experimentation

1. Frequency Modulation Experiment

Since the more friendly interface is provided, the Frequency Modulation Experiment enables students to have a natural hands-on experience of using an expensive spectrum analyzer on a one-to-one basis, and provides a solution for distant engineering education. The system uses a double client-server structure, where access to the experiment is via two rounds of client-server processing.

The original experiment has the usual limitation that only one user can log on and conduct the experiment at one time. A novel implementation based on Webcast allows multiple logons for those who are intentioned to see how the experiment is currently being conducted by the main user.

2. Coupled Tank Experiment

The Coupled Tank Experiment serves as an educational tool for teaching students the basic principles and methodology adopted in performing a series of experiments on a coupled tank apparatus. It also enables students to perform experiments at any time and from any location through the Internet. Additionally, it provides a platform for research staff to test control algorithms. The implementation uses video conferencing to provide audio and video feedback to the user, on the actual happenings in the laboratory and also allows the user to control the zoom and viewing angle of the video.

3. 3D Oscilloscope Experiment

The use of Java 3D gives a visualization experience that is much more realistic, attractive and natural than existing 2D systems. Three behavior modules on navigating, collision detection and picking enable a remote user to have the same experience as moving around and conducting an experiment in a real laboratory. The adjusted controls are converted into commands for real instruments in the actual physical laboratory, and the result of the experiment is sent back to the client to be displayed in an appropriate instrument panel in real time.

4. 2D Oscilloscope Experiment

Rather than simulating the oscilloscope display on the client as is often done in other virtual laboratories, the Oscilloscope Experiment uses real-time video capture of the actual oscilloscope's display, and the control commands are transferred to the actual oscilloscope instrument in the laboratory. In addition, the use of the mouse to turn the control buttons and knobs of the instrument has been implemented so that a more realistic feel of the instrument is provided.

5. Helicopter Experiment

The physical structure of the 2DOF helicopter makes it ideal platform for implementing and evaluating control strategies such as proportional-integral-derivative control (PID), fuzzy control, general state space feedback control. The Helicopter Experiment is currently being utilized in teaching both undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Department of ECE at NUS. The system is particularly beneficial to part-time students, who are unable to access to the University laboratory facilities during the normal operating hours.

6. Robotic Soccer Experiment

With the popularity of robots in the industrial sector, especially in the field of cooperative robotics, it has become important to study and develop distributed autonomous robotic systems. Researchers use the Robotic Soccer platform, as a benchmark, to test the developed algorithms and verify the proposed theories. The experimental setup will provide a platform to study the concepts associated with Distributed Robotic Systems on a robot soccer system.