Use WebClient from Students End
Use Android App to connect with Arduino Controller (Laboratory End)
Every lab has some fixed experiment which can be done by simple rotation, trasformation and turning switch on and off. These actions can be performed using simple arduino made controllers. So in this project we made an arduino controller to control these movement within the lab remotely. Moreover, as students have to collect experiment related data from different angle, there will be multiple live video stream from differnt point of view of the experiment. Lab assitant will set up the arduino controller and the cameras before starting the lab. As a result students will be to have an experience of conducting the exeriment with practical data and insight which no simulation can provide.
In current online educational system, students are provided with single video to learn about an experiment from it. They can't gain proper view of the conducted experiment. In our platform we provided a way to share multiple videos of a single a experiment from a different point of view. Using these, they will have a better understanding of the on-going experiment.
Students can ask questions to the teachers who is present in the lab. He can also review also review the experiment conducted remotely.
Having lab teacher(s) and lab assistant(s) in a big lab is not a big deal keeping social distance during the corona pandemic.
- Pre-recorded lab instructions with mutiple cameraview.
- Students can get real practice experience by controling aparatus, collecting lab data and conducting experiment
- Low latency command sending with realtime database.
- Cost Effective than other methods (One full device will 4 motion - 2 rotaion, 1 single-axis, on/off switch will cost less than 800tk with current setup)
- Low latency video stream with WebRTC(Currently used google meet as there was not enought time to implement it).
- All lab class all in one place.
Using simulation to lab experience with real world scenerios would cost much more money than our approach. For every case, we need expert of that subject, highly experinced programmers with better communication with experts. Moreover, we need much more proceessing power for running the simulation. It will be much costly. Simulation without real world scenerio, like without air-resistance, damping force - What is the difference between theoritical and parctical?
Our working device much cheaper. Using 1 Arduino Nano, 1 Bluetooth, 2 Stepper Motor, 1 axis movement motor with a On/Off switch would cost us less than 800 BDT! No other service can offer this kind of experience at this price.
- Moving from google meet to self-develped WebRTC based video streaming
- Changing camera position remotely which is done by the lab assitant currently.
- Developing web app prototypes to a functionable educational platform where other academic activies can also be conducted.
An overview of the whole project
Use case diagram
- Firebase realtime database: for sending command from web client(student) to arduino device(lab).
- Firebase firestore: to store class links
- Google Auth: for student authorization.
- React: for web app(student end).
- Android: for controlling arduino device.
- Arduino: for performing lab activities remotely(from home).
Step 1: Login to the student webapp using google account.
Step 2: Navigate to class lectures or upcoming lab classes from sidebar.
Step 3: Watch single experiment from multiple cameraview for better understanding.
[video-1] [video-2] [video-3] will contain video of same experiment from diffrent angle.
As we didn't have lab access we provided sample lab videos from youtube.
Step-5 Join lab class with single tap.
Step-6: control remote lab devices from student end.
LAB Side
Step 1: Configure device (here, it should hold a thermometer, which could be moved in to liquid or out)
Step 2: Run Android App
Step 3: Connect to Arduino via Bluetooth
READY TO GO
- Physics lab: finding jule's constant( or mechanical equivalent of heat) for exmaple
- Chemistry lab: Doing titration for example
- Biology lab: Watching somthing uder microscope and controlling the microscope to focus the slide for example.