A novel Approach to Engineering Education Laboratory Experiences through the Integration of Virtual Reality and Telerobotics

Abstract

Hands-on laboratory experiments are an essential part of engineering education at the undergraduate and graduate levels.However, establishing and maintaining these laboratory capabilities is expensive, time-consuming, and often requires significant building space.To address these challenges, we explore remote laboratories to provide similar student experiences in a more accessible, inclusive, and cost-effective way, enabled by the recent increases in the availability of low-cost virtual reality (VR) solutions and robotic arms.While VR is a widely used educational tool, this design approaches the necessity for high-resolution images, support for fine motor control, and low-latency operation, specifically for engineering classes.In this paper, we present our framework design that allows users to control a Baxter robot in the Advanced Telecommunications Engineering Lab (TEL) remotely, allowing students to conduct experiments involving lab equipment at any time, from virtually anywhere.This paper discusses the technical implementation of this project and its benefits to electrical and computer engineering education.It also provides a pathway to implementing this approach into other undergraduate engineering courses.