Online Laboratories and Interactive Simulations in ALNs Laboratory for Systems and...

Online Laboratories and Interactive Simulations in ALNs

Online Laboratories and Interactive Simulations in ALNs

Laboratory for Systems and Telecommunications

University of Florida

Haniph A. Latchman, University of FloridaDenis Gillet, Swiss Federal Institute of TechnologyJim Henry, University of Tennessee at ChattanoogaOscar Crisalle, University of Florida

Introduction Traditional Classes are reinforced by

practical experimentation Make experimental activities available to

REMOTE students– Why?– How?

Current status : Internet not deterministic, nor have reserved bandwidth

University of FloridaHaniph A. Latchman--

WE

BC

T U

mbrella

ALN (Asynchronous Learning Network)

NF

S

Live DemosLecture on Demand

Remote Lectures -

Virtual ProfessorInteractive

simulations

Sh

ared resou

rces

- labs

Ed

ucation

Sloan

Gran

t

Real M

ediaUF Global UF

MS

media

SU

CC

EE

D

Bell S

outh

University of FloridaHaniph A. Latchman--

The Net Effect on the Business of Education in the Cyberage

Lecture Individual Readings

Written Exercises

Live Demos

Virtual Experiments

Real Experiments

Practical Projects

Teacher involvement Student involvement

Mastery

Expertise

Design Capabilities

Analysis Capabilities

Knowledge of tools

Teacher Involvement Student involvement

Lecture LiveDemos

IndividualReadings

WrittenExercises

VirtualExperiments

RealExperiments

PracticalProjects

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EEL6507 (Queueing Theory) Synchronized Lecture Fall 98’

Sync-PowerPoint with video

INFO

Menu

Real Player

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The Inverted Pendulum

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The Model Helicopter

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Traditional Motor Control

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Motivation(Why the INTERNET?)

The Internet is not designed to handle real-time

traffic, BUT

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Telepresence : “Interaction” with real equipment from a

distant location

GlobalInfrastructure

Telepresence

Hardware & softwarein broadcast A/V

Interactivityto bandwidth

Best approach to learning; NOT traditional classroom

Teachers realize, and implement– Laboratory scale processes

– CAI(Computer Aided Instruction) tools

Especially useful in automatic control classes– Abstract concepts become real

– Dynamic phenomena can be observed

– Student Motivated to learn by solving real problems

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Why emphasis On Experiments in Engineering?

Distance learning Increasingly popular

– Increasing number of Students– Decreasing allocated resources– Demand for more flexible hours– Changing life styles

History – Written materials by mail– Videotapes– WWW– ALN - Complete courses

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Learning models enhanced by Remote Experimentation

Students’ on campus presence not required. “Anytime” experiments, whenever student

curiosity dictates, enhances learning. Existence of distance learning facilities

fosters competition among institutions. Remote experimentation beneficial to

research & industry : share expensive equipment.

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Goals of Remote experimentation High level of interactivity allowed Fast system responsiveness to user inputs User must be able to use senses of vision &

hearing to perceive local system responses Even “touch” remote process Timely feedback of System response(actual

responses may be fractions of second) Low cost and high availability (use Internet)

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Requirements of real time control over the Internet

Basic Components of the pendulum system Physical system, AD/DA Cards, Server, Identical display screen

for Clients&Server, Network

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Fi gure 1. P

hysical system

Requirements of real time control over the Internet(cont.)

User Interface– GUI developed with

LabVIEW

– Oscilloscope window - real process measurements are displayed

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– Sliders(4) - representing user defined parameters

– “Hand” button, for invoking perturbations analogous to local user

– Additional window - sampling period connection state, etc

Figure 2. Graphic User Interface

Requirements of real time control over the Internet(cont.)

Operation of the Remote experimentation system– Client-Server Configuration

– Server : Local machine, Runs algorithm to control the experiment in real time, May use GUI like clients, Digital camera and microphone connected

– Client : Network module, GUI module, Two modes of operation(Standard client or Master client)

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Requirements of real time control over the Internet(cont.)

Managing client requests– Server waits for client access 24hours/day

– Point-to-Point sessions granted according to hierarchy of client requests

– User must launch client software ; request connection to server

– First, client connects as STANDARD client :Audio, Video and data streams only

Commands to physical system not allowed

– If no client connections, server my initiate idle state

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Requirements of real time control over the Internet(cont.)

Assigning MASTER Mode– Standard client can request Master Mode– If user permission OK, request placed in queue.– MASTER client status is assigned to only one client at a

time.– MASTER client status valid for a pre-defined period of time– USER can quit Master client status & relinquish control of

the experiment at any time,– Multi client session also possible :

Instructor = Master client.

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Requirements of real time control over the Internet(cont.)

Classes of Information Streams– The Parameter Stream

– The Data Stream

– The Administrative Stream

– The Audio/Video Stream

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ClientServer

Data stream

Audio/Video stream

GUI

Client section

Parameter stream

Administrative stream

Low

er priority

compression and packet loss is allowed compression and packet loss is not allowed

Hierarchy of Information streams

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Requirements of real time control over the Internet(cont.)

Other Requirements– Available 24 hours/day

– Minimal local maintenance

– Resetable to known safe state

– Robust precautions to prevent physical system damages

– Allow user to operate close to undesirable states

– User ability to perturb the physical process

Overall system operation(cont.)

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Figure 7. Optimal control solution.

Overall system operation(cont.) Bandwidth adaptation

– Same aggressiveness as TCP

– Based on three network states : Unloaded, Loaded, Congested

– Maximum and Minimum values defined by sender application

– Maximum flow constrained only by speed at which video grabber can supply compressed images

– Highly flexible

– Receiver can request lower limit for max flow

– Flow is a function of : packet size, packet rate

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Content and Priority

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Figure 8. Streams priority

Overall system operation(cont.)

Content and Priority(cont.)– Streams transmitted through single channel– Next packet defined by priority & user factor– Available bandwidth shared between Video and

Data– User can adjust

Image quality Image rate Ration split between data and video stream

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Overall system operation(cont.)

Packet recovery and reordering– Lost of late packets must be recovered locally

Data : If system model is known, reconstruction by simulation or discarded, depending on display progression

Video: Discarded, depending on display progression

Optional : User decides to record data - no packet discarded

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Client-Server architecture

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A Hybrid Virtual Reality/ Measurement-based system

Video and virtual reality image

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Online Laboratories and Interactive Simulations in ALNs Haniph A. Latchman, University of Florida Denis Gillet, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology

Jim HenryUniversity of Tennessee at Chattanooga Oscar Crisalle, University of Florida

Since 1995

Controls Engineering Chemical Engineering Mechanical Engineering

Since 1995

REAL EXPERIMENTS Controls, Data Retrieval Live Video, Live Audio

Since 1995

REAL EXPERIMENTSControls, Data Retrieval, Live Video, Live Audio

Distant studentsAsynchronous Experiments

Since 1995

REAL EXPERIMENTSControls, Data Retrieval, Live Video, Live Audio

More Distant studentsAsynchronous Experiments

Pool of typical plants of process engineering at UTC

International cooperation in control engineering education using online experiments:

Enabling technology and learning systems

Prof. Dr. H. M Schaedel

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Fachhochschule KölnUniversity of Applied Sci-ences Cologne

Prof. Dr. Jim Henry

Online Workshop in the practical control course at FHK

SS 2000 2 groups of 10 students SS 2001 2 groups of 10 students SS 2002 4 groups of 10 students

Students of the 4th semester of the Faculty IME

Experiment via internet and theoretical investigations

Process Modeling

Parameter Estimation

Controller Tuning

From data via internet:

Test of the controlled circuit at UTC via the internet

Transfer of the controller tuning to the Plant at UTC

Test of the control circuit behaviour

Data transfer of the results for the controlled cicuit to FHK

Setpoint change

Disturbance change

Results

Students were fascinated by the opportunities of this type of education

they showed up very motivated most of them repeated some of the

experiments for the evaluation of the test results

way of cooperation will be extended

Conclusions The internet provides new and challenging

ways for international cooperation in engineering education where distances do not play any role.

Common resources can be used for the benefit of students in countries around the world.

This is an excellent way of meeting the demands of a growing globalization in the fields of engineering education.

Water Level in a Tank Control

Classic Control Experiments

Water Level in a Tank Control

Watch it LIVE!

Pressure Swing Adsorption

Modern Process Experiments

Distillation

Complex System Experiments

Distillation

ContinuouslyUpdated Graphsof results--sharable on the web

Distillation

Complete data files--sharable on the web

Comments Asynchronous learning breeds students

autonomy -- Fogler REAL engineering experiments are available

24x7

Provides students access to practical experiences in the subject of their study

Comments Asynchronous learning breeds students

autonomy -- Fogler REAL engineering experiments are available

24x7

Provides students access to practical experiences in the subject of their study

Introducing Flexibility in Traditional Engineering Education by Providing Dedicated On-line Experimentation

and Tutoring Resources Dr. Denis Gillet

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne (EPFL)

& Oscar Crisalle

Chemical Engineering DepartmentUniversity of Florida

Flexibility in Traditional Academic Education

Less– classroom lectures– conflicting course schedules

More– active learning & autonomy

– choice for time & place

– customized content & environment

– personalized assistance & tutoring

Web-Based Supporting Resources

Lectures on demand Online course material Online experimentation facilities

– Simulation tools: Web-based simulation– Laboratory setups: Remote experimentation

Asynchronous and synchronous assistance Collaborative work environments

Ongoing Deployment Projectshttp://eMersion.epfl.ch

Flexible access to experimentation resources Hands-on practice and autonomous learning Immersion environment dedicated

to Web-based experimentation The cockpit metaphor

– Planning– Observation– Action & Reaction– Analysis & Synthesis

Ongoing Deployment Projectshttp://Mentors.epfl.ch

Education modules for tutors & students Autonomy and collaborative work Mentoring environment

and tutoring services The eJournal metaphor

– Annotation– Collaboration– Assistance– Assignment submission

Pilot Course in Automatic Control

Traditional

laboratory

activities

carried out

in team

More flexibility is needed for logistical

and pedagogical reasons

Interaction console

Annotation and

collaboration

space: eJournal

Analysis toolkit

Planning facility

Deployment Scenario

Preliminary training: 3-hours workshops– TA: How to carry out flexible assistance &

tutoring ?– Students: How to get organized and handle

autonomy ? Laboratory course: Interactive 2-hours Web-

based experimentation modules– Prelab: Mandatory preparatory activities– Labwork: Remote access to laboratory resources– Grading: Lab-test and discussions

Assistance & Tutoring

Kick-off– Introduction to pedagogical objectives– Learning approach and evaluation scheme– Cockpit functionalities and usage– Best practices and hints

On-demand– Office hours or on-line support (FAQ, email or

phone)– Close to immediate feedback from peers or TA

Contractual– Evaluation and annotation of the prelab

Pilot Course Assessment

Two pilot groups– 2001: Mechanical engineering students 8 / 27– 2002: Micro-engineering students 20 / 82

Motivation of the volunteers– Management of the workload– Possibility to carry out more experiments– Access to the TA

Assessment trough questionnaires and collective interviews (debriefing)

Pilot Course Assessment

Collaboration between peers– Quick substitute to the TA

Interaction between TA and students– Combined technical, organizational and educational

requests - Asynchronous assistance to handle Learning process

– Sustained acquisition of auto-evaluation skills Grading scheme

– Individual schedule compete with regular courses

Concluding Remarks

Assistance and tutoring in flexible education– Trained students and TA – Decoupled formative and normative feedback– Distributed roles between peers, TA and instructor

Experimentation resources sharing– Access: Partnerships or subsidiary companies– Resources: Web-based simulation tools, generic lab

equipment and open environments– Support: Responsibility of the students’ institutions

Lab Resources Sharing

Distributed Laboratory– International and European networks– Enrichment by integrating new resources– Level of contribution according to the partner expertise

Lab experiments = Neutral resources– Modules, interactive exercises, lab setups, …– Same setup can be used in various contexts

Focus on environment instead of content– Support for high-level cognitive activities

For Further Informanton

http://worldwidecontrols.org

Thank you!University of FloridaHaniph A. Latchman--

Contact Information• latchman@list.ufl.edu• jim-henry@utc.edu• denis.gillet@epfl.ch• crisalle@che.ufl.edu