Creating web-based laboratories

Remote web-based experimentation, enabling students and researchers to access the laboratory anytime via the Internet, is becoming an increasingly attractive way to complement or even replace traditional laboratory sessions. Placing a video camera & microphone before the equipment and apparatus to capture what is actually happening in the laboratory allows the images and audio data to be streamed to the client side. Researchers in different countries can share equipment and conduct research cooperatively and remotely. The authors summarise their research and discuss the development of the 5 web-based laboratories launched from the National University of Singapore. The principles, structure, and technologies required for the creation of Internet remote experimentation systems are discussed with particular emphasis on the integration of hardware and software systems. Also highlighted is the design and development of interfaces and components for use in typical web-based laboratories or similar web-control applications.