UNED has developed remote laboratories using IoT technologies to bring robotics and electronics to students. They created a remote robotic arm laboratory connecting a Raspberry Pi server to an Arduino and robotic arm over USB. The system allows controlling devices, information, and events over the internet. It was adapted for use in an Inquiry Learning Space for educational environments. New remote laboratories are being developed using this IoT approach to facilitate deploying information and services remotely.

1. German Carro Fernandez, Elio Sancristobal Ruiz,
Manuel Castro Gil*, Francisco Mur Perez
Electrical and Computer Engineering Department
Spanish University for Distance Education (UNED)
Madrid, Spain
http://www.ieec.uned.es/
Research on Technologies for Engineering Education http://ohm.ieec.uned.es/portal/

2. German Carro Fernandez germancf@ieee.org
• Introduction
• First there was light
• Then was the wheel
• Control your device using IoT capabilities
• Finally was the robotic arm
• Conclusions
http://www.ieec.uned.es/
Research on Technologies for Engineering Education http://ohm.ieec.uned.es/portal/

3. German Carro Fernandez germancf@ieee.org
-UNED are working long time ago on useful eLearning
-Technology of today let increase the develop of reusable remote
laboratories on engineering
-This study was born from the idea to bring robotics and electronics
to the students to close them to technology using IoT tools
OR
knowledge is the key!
Let’s go to see how!
Laboratorios desarrollados: Go-Lab (LedRGB, Brazo robotizado) y robots
http://www.ieec.uned.es/
Research on Technologies for Engineering Education http://ohm.ieec.uned.es/portal/

4. German Carro Fernandez germancf@ieee.org
• Introduction
• First there was light
• Then was the wheel
• Control your device using IoT capabilities
• Finally was the robotic arm
• Conclusions
http://www.ieec.uned.es/
Research on Technologies for Engineering Education http://ohm.ieec.uned.es/portal/

5. German Carro Fernandez germancf@ieee.org
Laboratorios desarrollados: Go-Lab (LedRGB, Brazo robotizado) y robots
http://www.ieec.uned.es/
Research on Technologies for Engineering Education http://ohm.ieec.uned.es/portal/
 New hardware
added:
Raspberry Pi
 New software
used:
Javascript
 New protocols
used:
Websockets

6. German Carro Fernandez germancf@ieee.org
• Introduction
• First there was light
• Then was the wheel
• Control your device using IoT capabilities
• Finally was the robotic arm
• Conclusions
http://www.ieec.uned.es/
Research on Technologies for Engineering Education http://ohm.ieec.uned.es/portal/

7. German Carro Fernandez germancf@ieee.org
Laboratorios desarrollados: Go-Lab (LedRGB, Brazo robotizado) y robots
http://www.ieec.uned.es/
Research on Technologies for Engineering Education http://ohm.ieec.uned.es/portal/
Two possible options were
considered:
 Javascript and Node.js
 Tornado and Python
First was chosen because
counts with Socket.io library,
very useful for our interests.

8. German Carro Fernandez germancf@ieee.org
• Introduction
• First there was light
• Then was the wheel
• Control your device using IoT capabilities
• Finally was the robotic arm
• Conclusions
http://www.ieec.uned.es/
Research on Technologies for Engineering Education http://ohm.ieec.uned.es/portal/

9. German Carro Fernandez germancf@ieee.org
Laboratorios desarrollados: Go-Lab (LedRGB, Brazo robotizado) y robots
http://www.ieec.uned.es/
Research on Technologies for Engineering Education http://ohm.ieec.uned.es/portal/
Objective:
 Control remotely
devices, information
and events using IoT
How?:
 Server hosted on the
Raspberry Pi has direct
communication with the
Arduino UNO via USB.
 Client side receives and
manage settings using
REST protocol

10. German Carro Fernandez germancf@ieee.org
Laboratorios desarrollados: Go-Lab (LedRGB, Brazo robotizado) y robots
http://www.ieec.uned.es/
Research on Technologies for Engineering Education http://ohm.ieec.uned.es/portal/
Previous test using the system:
https://www.youtube.com/embed/bfNULdKcQFk

11. German Carro Fernandez germancf@ieee.org
• Introduction
• First there was light
• Then was the wheel
• Control your device using IoT capabilities
• Finally was the robotic arm
• Conclusions
http://www.ieec.uned.es/
Research on Technologies for Engineering Education http://ohm.ieec.uned.es/portal/

12. German Carro Fernandez germancf@ieee.org
Laboratorios desarrollados: Go-Lab (LedRGB, Brazo robotizado) y robots
http://www.ieec.uned.es/
Research on Technologies for Engineering Education http://ohm.ieec.uned.es/portal/
Move the system to a robotic
arm laboratory:
 Increasing the number of
websockets channels
(one for each service)
 Adaptating of Arduino
source code to manage
the 6 services available
(led, clip, wrist, elbow,
shoulder and base).
 Modificating REST
system customizing
JSON’s content
(embeded all information
individually by service)

13. German Carro Fernandez germancf@ieee.org
Laboratorios desarrollados: Go-Lab (LedRGB, Brazo robotizado) y robots
http://www.ieec.uned.es/
Research on Technologies for Engineering Education http://ohm.ieec.uned.es/portal/
Develop, and display it into, an Inquiry Learning Space
(ILS) to use for educational environments.
In this case even with a virtual laboratory to compare the
results.
Golab Project environment ILS link:
http://graasp.eu/ils/54d49bcd479265d7425bfa95?lang=en

14. German Carro Fernandez germancf@ieee.org
• Introduction
• First there was light
• Then was the wheel
• Control your device using IoT capabilities
• Finally was the robotic arm
• Conclusions
http://www.ieec.uned.es/
Research on Technologies for Engineering Education http://ohm.ieec.uned.es/portal/

15. German Carro Fernandez germancf@ieee.org
 New technologies greatly facilitate the deployment of information, data
and services using the Internet
 The philosophy of IoT allows to display different remote laboratories on
the Internet and convert them into useful tools for the educational
environment
 Teachers have seen how technology can help them teaching on their
sessions with new ILS, and the students are a little more motivated to
learn due to the novelty of using a robotic (or electronic) tool remotely.
Laboratorios desarrollados: Go-Lab (LedRGB, Brazo robotizado) y robots
http://www.ieec.uned.es/
Research on Technologies for Engineering Education http://ohm.ieec.uned.es/portal/

16. German Carro Fernandez germancf@ieee.org
 Other laboratories are coming using this technology and philosophy
Laboratorios desarrollados: Go-Lab (LedRGB, Brazo robotizado) y robots
http://www.ieec.uned.es/
Research on Technologies for Engineering Education http://ohm.ieec.uned.es/portal/
Electromagnetic Crane laboratory Led Cube laboratory
More…

17. German Carro Fernandez, Elio Sancristobal Ruiz, Manuel
Castro Gil*, Francisco Mur Perez
Electrical and Computer Engineering Department
Spanish University for Distance Education (UNED)
Madrid, Spain
http://www.ieec.uned.es/
Research on Technologies for Engineering Education http://ohm.ieec.uned.es/portal/