Tells a facility for webbased remote real time

Tells - a facility for web-based, remote real time laboratory experiments University of Limerick Ireland Classroom of the future

The (Tells) system is a facility to enable lecturers and students to run and control real-time experiments. The main goals of (Tells) are: • The provision of lectures augmented with realtime experiments and demonstrations to local and remote learners • The provision of remote and local learner access to real-time experiments on-line for 24 hours a day 7 days a week • Building on standard Internet and PC technology and LABVIEW Classroom of the future 2

Learning from experiments Hands on experiments and laboratory work Tells Simulated experiments Classroom of the future 3

On-Line Skills Reinforcing Learning Support Development concepts Hands-On Real- Parameter Remote Time Changing Use Simulation Tells Classroom of the future 4

WEB Audio PC LECTURER Process LABVIEW Real-time experiments demonstrated by lecturer Run Time Engine to local learners in a lecture setting Video Classroom of the future 5

Lecture to local learners mode The lecturer may run real-time experiments, operating in a remote laboratory, in a local classroom setting Classroom of the future 6

WEB PC Audio PC 1 VIDEO LABVIEW Run Time Engine Process LECTURER SOUND LABVIEW Real-time experiments demonstrated by PC lecturer to local and remote learners in a Video LABVIEW Run Time Engine lecture setting. 2 . . Statuses: • MONITORING • CONTROL SOUND PCm LABVIEW Run Time Engine Classroom of the future SOUND 7

Lecture broadcast mode The instructor may run realtime experiments, operating in a remote laboratory, to remote and local learners in a lecture format Classroom of the future 8

Implementation AUDIO Process Lecturer LABVIEW Web Page LABVIEW Run Time Engine Audio Video VIDEO Access Control Classroom of the future 9

WEB Audio Process PC 1 LABVIEW Run Time Engine PC LABVIEW PC 2 Real-time experimentation by local LABVIEW Video and remote learners on-line 24 hours Run Time Engine a day PCm LABVIEW Run Time Engine Classroom of the future 10

Online real-time experimentation mode Local and remote learners may be scheduled to run a Labview controlled experiment developed by the lecturer and change experiment parameters Classroom of the future 11

Implementation AUDIO Process LABVIEW Web Page VIDEO Access Control Classroom of the future 12

Issues to deal with • Registration of the remote users • Quality of the visual and audio feedback • Scheduling of the remote users • Remote access watchdog Classroom of the future 13

Structure Schedule Final Year Projects Notice Board Main page Homework Lecture Credit Classroom of the future 14

Hardware used Standard PC Video cameras View experiments in real time View the lectures in real time Image Acquisition (IMAQ) Card Convert analog video to digital video Microphones and speakers used with the soundcard Transmit and receive sound Process - any type of electronic or mechanical Used for the experiment process being controlled in LABVIEW Data Acquisition (DAQ) Card Compatible with NI LABVIEW Projector Exchange the information between the PC and the experiment Display video or text on a large screen Classroom of the future 15

Software used LABVIEW - graphical programming software for measurement and automation Data Acquisition Control Web-publishing Scheduling Microsoft Internet Explorer (or similar software) Access the LABVIEW generated web pages and other web pages Microsoft Front. Page, Dreamweaver (or other similar software) Build and manage websites and Internet applications HTML Code Embed programs into web pages Helix Producer (from Real. Networks) Provides encoding to convert audio and video into Real. Media format Helix Server (from Real. Networks) Delivery engine supporting the real time packetization and network transmission of any media type to any device Real. ONE Player (from Real. Networks) Used to decode and play information in Real. Media format Classroom of the future 16

Conclusion The (Tells) system is a facility that enables communication between lecturers, laboratory experiments and students. It is implemented using standard, available hardware and software. It is a resource that can be applied in any experimental discipline where interaction with real-time experiments is a useful learning resource. Classroom of the future 17