A web‐based virtual laboratory for teaching automatic control

Abstract This paper describes a web‐based virtual laboratory that improves the automatic control teaching of undergraduate courses. This is achieved by optimizing the time the students spend in the real laboratory. The virtual world or three‐dimensional scenes of real laboratory plants gives the students the opportunity to “learning by doing” through web‐based systems at the location they want, and at the time they like. This virtual laboratory gives the students the tools to be more prepared and therefore, use the time more efficiently and effectively when working in the real laboratory plant. The student does not require the installation of special software on his remote computer; only need a common VRML enabled browser. An example of a developed virtual laboratory of interconnected tanks is presented. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ. 15: 192–197, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com); DOI 10.1002/cae.20111