The next step of digital laboratories: Connecting real and virtual world

Abstract

Lab-based learning, especially the possibility for students to get practical experience, is a requirement for natural- & engineering education. We want to overcome logistical problems of real laboratories by creating a precise digital twin of a RFID-Measuring-Chamber. Students will be able to perform different kinds of experiments directly in virtual reality. To diminish the disadvantage of a pure virtual experience, a process log of the experiment is created which gets carried out asynchronously by a robotic arm. The students receive data and a webcam recording of the real world experiment as feedback. We hope to combine the benefits of virtualization and remote controlled labs to overcome most of the typical problems inherent to lab-based learning. The effect on the learning outcome will be evaluated over a period of two years.