rus
TS_pub
technospheramag
technospheramag
ТЕХНОСФЕРА_РИЦ
Issue #1/2024
M.A.Masterskikh, М.G.Knol, A.O.Roenko (Dudnik)
DEVELOPMENT OF A MODULAR SMARTLAB LABORATORY FOR TEACHING STUDENTS OF TECHNICAL UNIVERSITIES OF IoT TECHNOLOGIES
DEVELOPMENT OF A MODULAR SMARTLAB LABORATORY FOR TEACHING STUDENTS OF TECHNICAL UNIVERSITIES OF IoT TECHNOLOGIES
DOI: 10.22184/1993-8578.2024.17.1.32.42
The paper is devoted to the SmartLAB "smart" modular laboratory development for technical universities. The paper presents the results of development of three laboratory modules: a module for monitoring climate readings, blinds control and an access module to the office. Data transfer from devices to the website using a microcomputer has been established. The materials obtained can be used for preparing the methodological manuals and further training of students in practical skills in the framework of IoT courses and other related disciplines.
The paper is devoted to the SmartLAB "smart" modular laboratory development for technical universities. The paper presents the results of development of three laboratory modules: a module for monitoring climate readings, blinds control and an access module to the office. Data transfer from devices to the website using a microcomputer has been established. The materials obtained can be used for preparing the methodological manuals and further training of students in practical skills in the framework of IoT courses and other related disciplines.
Теги: access control module blinds control module climate control module internet of things microcomputer "smart" laboratory "умная" лаборатория technical university интернет вещей микрокомпьютер модуль контроля доступа модуль контроля показаний климата модуль управления жалюзи технический университет
INTRODUCTION
In recent decades, Internet of Things (IoT) technologies have been gaining popularity in Russia and in the world in general. This is additionally confirmed by the result of the open query "Internet of Things" – more than 4 million papers on this topic on the platform for searching scientific literature [1]. These technologies allow creating convenient and efficient automation systems in various fields, linking numerous devices, allowing data transfer within the system via the Internet. The field of application depends only on the task at hand: in industry, a system of sensors and control mechanisms can be used to monitor and control production processes, and in the home environment to manage energy consumption, security systems and room status notification.
Nowadays, there are various projects in the field of IoT, and each has its own specific application. Platform for automation of smart homes [2] and buildings [3], enterprises [4, 5], educational kits for schools [6] and educational institutions of additional education [7]. More complex systems are packaged in an off-the-shelf solution and are aimed at highly specialised tasks, while in additional classes schoolchildren are taught basic microcontroller skills. The intermediate link is left unfilled.
With the rapidly growing IoT industry, there is a need to train qualified professionals who can design, assemble and configure such equipment. One of the most relevant places for such training are technical universities. There is no doubt about the importance of IoT implementation in universities at various stages – both for developers and users [8].
Today, laboratories in technical universities are complexes consisting of complex technical systems, devices and apparatuses that take a lot of resources to coordinate, purchase, install and maintain, and even more to write off obsolete or failed equipment. Updating the technical laboratory fleet is a long-term and expensive task, so not every university can cope with timely modernisation. It is worth noting that despite these difficulties, the requirements of employers to the knowledge and skills that university graduates should possess are growing every year.
This paper proposes a flexible solution based on IoT technologies that can be easily modified and/or converted to other devices. "Smart" modular laboratory SmartLab is a set of open modules that allow conducting laboratory works in order to study IoT technologies by students and apply the available theoretical knowledge in practice. As an example, modules that affect the performance (control of climate readings, illumination) and allow providing access control to the equipment (access control module to the room) were selected and configured. It is planned to expand the range of functional modules in the future. The results of the work are presented in the thesis and will be used to create a methodological manual as part of the study of IoT and other related disciplines. It is worth noting that in the process of implementation the skills required for students to work with the specified equipment were identified, and the complexity of module assembly and configuration was ranked.
PRACTICE
The work is based on the modular SmartLab development, which could improve students’ practical skills by assembling, customising and installing various modules in the classroom. For example, in the process of assembly and customisation, students will be able to apply in practice the knowledge and skills acquired in the course on PHP programming and electrical engineering. The modules can then be used to equip laboratory rooms to monitor climate readings, filter access and create a comfortable environment. At the same time, what is important, there are no rigid requirements to the equipped room, so any room of the university can become a room where such a modular laboratory can be deployed. The concept of the laboratory with a description of each module is presented in the form of a diagram in Fig.1.
MICROCOMPUTER
The first and main component of the modular laboratory is the microcomputer. Its principle of operation is to receive, store and output data. The microcomputer receives parameters via HTTP-request and thanks to PHP scripts processes them. Then it writes the data to the table or rejects it if the parameters were entered incorrectly. The microcomputer acts as a server and outputs a web page, thus visualising the required data in the form of graphs or messages. The canvasjs library [9] was used to display the graphs. After successful configuration, enter the microcomputer address in the browser. The result of the web page will be shown in the Results section. The web page will contain text messages with information about the climate in the room and the last successful login, as well as graphs showing changes in the climate state (temperature, humidity and illumination respectively) over the last 24 hours. A Raspberry Pi 4 Model B microcomputer [10] was chosen to implement this module.
CLIMATE CONTROL MODULE
The climate control module collects data from all sensors connected to it and transmits them via HTTP request to the microcomputer address, running a PHP script that records them in the database. This module writes the values of temperature, humidity and illumination to the database at intervals of 5 minutes. The following components were used to implement this module: Iskra Nano Pro microcontroller, DHT22 temperature and humidity sensor, ESP-01 wireless communication module and VT90N2 photoresistor. This module is presented in Fig.2.
SHUTTER CONTROL MODULE
The shutter control module creates comfortable lighting for the room in which it is installed. The device is operated by a photoresistor and by changing the tilt of the louvre blades, which is driven by an inbuilt servo drive. This module has several control modes.
In the first mode, the shutters will automatically close in bright light thanks to the photoresistor. When the button is pressed, the mode is changed with an audible message.
In the second mode, the shutter status is controlled by an IR signal sent from the remote control when a certain button is pressed. If the same button is pressed again, nothing will happen, but if another button is pressed, the status of the shutter will be changed and a record will be sent to the database. Thanks to the IR remote control it is possible to open or close the blinds remotely. After each state change, data on the shutter position and the mode in which the position change occurred are sent to the server. On the block diagram "1" is symbolised as return to the beginning of the cycle (Fig.3). Diagram and photo of the finished module are shown in Fig.4.
CABINET ACCESS MODULE
The cabinet access module is the most interesting in terms of the technologies used and has more functionality than the other modules presented in this article. The module works with RFID cards and tags. With the RFID reader, it will be possible to open or close the door depending on the unique identification number.
Two variants of module operation are implemented:
The door is opened from the database stored on the memory card connected to the module. At each start-up, the number of users on the memory card will be checked against the database. In the event that the number does not match, a corresponding message will be displayed on the LCD screen.
Opening the door and identification will be done by HTTP request to the server with the following request. After running one or another function, the program will return to waiting for the card to be attached. The main problem with this kind of work may be the delay, which is undesirable when there is a large flow of students. This problem is solved by replacing the HTTP request with a wired connection to the server via an RS-485 communication interface. However, this makes the solution wired.
As soon as the card is attached to the reader, the function of forming a request is started, followed by sending and receiving a response from the server. If the response from the server is negative, the red LED will light up and a text message will appear on the scoreboard informing that the access is denied (Fig.5, 1). In case of a positive response, the green LED will light up, the LCD display will show "PLEASE GO", and the piezoelectric sound emitter will emit a special signal (Fig.5, 2).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
In the course of the work done, the following modules were assembled and configured: module for climate readings control, blinds control and access to the office. Data on the status of the modules are output by means of RPi microcomputer to the site in the following form (Fig.6).
Also, as a result of the work, the skills that students need to build and customise these modules were identified and ranked by level of difficulty (Table 1). Where 1 is basic knowledge of programming and prototyping; 2 – understanding of the basics of HTTP protocol in addition to knowledge 1; 3 – understanding of the basics of narrowly specialised components of the module (e.g. IR signals or radio frequency identification) in addition to 2; 4 – ability to work with Linux-systems, databases and create web pages on HTML/CSS. It is planned to use the obtained results for the formation of methodological manuals.
Thus, the concept of a modular laboratory was developed and designed (Fig.7). The following modules were assembled and configured using IoT technologies, namely, climate readings control module, cabinet access and blinds control module. These modules are easy to assemble and configure, effective in using and learning IoT technologies. Each of the modules fulfils a specific function.
The climate control module allows automatic reading and entering of temperature, humidity and light readings into the database. The shutter control module allows optimal utilisation of natural light and control of natural light levels in laboratories. This not only reduces energy consumption, but also contributes to a comfortable working atmosphere, which is important for the productivity of students and teachers. The classroom access control module provides security by preventing unauthorised access and protecting valuable equipment. This contributes to the preservation of property and personal safety in educational institutions.
It should be noted that one of the key tasks of this work was to integrate the modules into the educational process of higher educational institutions of technical orientation. The blinds control module was tested on second-year students of the direction 15.03.04 "Automation of technological processes and productions" of the Department of IUTS of ISAU Dubna State University in its simpler modification. The students managed to assemble and configure the module in such a way that the control is performed using a remote control and IR receiver with subsequent recording of information on the site [11]. The site provides an opportunity to receive values sent from "smart" devices and store data with the possibility of further visualisation. In the future it is planned to introduce other developed modules into the educational process of the department.
CONCLUSIONS
The SmartLab modular laboratory is a promising solution for technical universities, which combines advanced technologies, optimisation of resources and creation of comfortable conditions for learning and research. Its implementation will contribute to the development of technical knowledges of future specialists and teach them to successfully cope with the challenges of the modern world.
In the future, it is planned to modify the solution [12] for remote measurements via WiFi, as well as to develop a module for improving storage conditions of various substances and experimental samples for chemical and biological laboratories. All the obtained solutions will be converted into methodological manuals with further testing in IoT courses and related disciplines, expanding the toolkit of the modular laboratory and creating flexible solutions for different types of tasks.
PEER REVIEW INFO
Editorial board thanks the anonymous reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work. It is also grateful for their consent to publish papers on the journal’s website and SEL eLibrary eLIBRARY.RU.
Declaration of Competing Interest. The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
In recent decades, Internet of Things (IoT) technologies have been gaining popularity in Russia and in the world in general. This is additionally confirmed by the result of the open query "Internet of Things" – more than 4 million papers on this topic on the platform for searching scientific literature [1]. These technologies allow creating convenient and efficient automation systems in various fields, linking numerous devices, allowing data transfer within the system via the Internet. The field of application depends only on the task at hand: in industry, a system of sensors and control mechanisms can be used to monitor and control production processes, and in the home environment to manage energy consumption, security systems and room status notification.
Nowadays, there are various projects in the field of IoT, and each has its own specific application. Platform for automation of smart homes [2] and buildings [3], enterprises [4, 5], educational kits for schools [6] and educational institutions of additional education [7]. More complex systems are packaged in an off-the-shelf solution and are aimed at highly specialised tasks, while in additional classes schoolchildren are taught basic microcontroller skills. The intermediate link is left unfilled.
With the rapidly growing IoT industry, there is a need to train qualified professionals who can design, assemble and configure such equipment. One of the most relevant places for such training are technical universities. There is no doubt about the importance of IoT implementation in universities at various stages – both for developers and users [8].
Today, laboratories in technical universities are complexes consisting of complex technical systems, devices and apparatuses that take a lot of resources to coordinate, purchase, install and maintain, and even more to write off obsolete or failed equipment. Updating the technical laboratory fleet is a long-term and expensive task, so not every university can cope with timely modernisation. It is worth noting that despite these difficulties, the requirements of employers to the knowledge and skills that university graduates should possess are growing every year.
This paper proposes a flexible solution based on IoT technologies that can be easily modified and/or converted to other devices. "Smart" modular laboratory SmartLab is a set of open modules that allow conducting laboratory works in order to study IoT technologies by students and apply the available theoretical knowledge in practice. As an example, modules that affect the performance (control of climate readings, illumination) and allow providing access control to the equipment (access control module to the room) were selected and configured. It is planned to expand the range of functional modules in the future. The results of the work are presented in the thesis and will be used to create a methodological manual as part of the study of IoT and other related disciplines. It is worth noting that in the process of implementation the skills required for students to work with the specified equipment were identified, and the complexity of module assembly and configuration was ranked.
PRACTICE
The work is based on the modular SmartLab development, which could improve students’ practical skills by assembling, customising and installing various modules in the classroom. For example, in the process of assembly and customisation, students will be able to apply in practice the knowledge and skills acquired in the course on PHP programming and electrical engineering. The modules can then be used to equip laboratory rooms to monitor climate readings, filter access and create a comfortable environment. At the same time, what is important, there are no rigid requirements to the equipped room, so any room of the university can become a room where such a modular laboratory can be deployed. The concept of the laboratory with a description of each module is presented in the form of a diagram in Fig.1.
MICROCOMPUTER
The first and main component of the modular laboratory is the microcomputer. Its principle of operation is to receive, store and output data. The microcomputer receives parameters via HTTP-request and thanks to PHP scripts processes them. Then it writes the data to the table or rejects it if the parameters were entered incorrectly. The microcomputer acts as a server and outputs a web page, thus visualising the required data in the form of graphs or messages. The canvasjs library [9] was used to display the graphs. After successful configuration, enter the microcomputer address in the browser. The result of the web page will be shown in the Results section. The web page will contain text messages with information about the climate in the room and the last successful login, as well as graphs showing changes in the climate state (temperature, humidity and illumination respectively) over the last 24 hours. A Raspberry Pi 4 Model B microcomputer [10] was chosen to implement this module.
CLIMATE CONTROL MODULE
The climate control module collects data from all sensors connected to it and transmits them via HTTP request to the microcomputer address, running a PHP script that records them in the database. This module writes the values of temperature, humidity and illumination to the database at intervals of 5 minutes. The following components were used to implement this module: Iskra Nano Pro microcontroller, DHT22 temperature and humidity sensor, ESP-01 wireless communication module and VT90N2 photoresistor. This module is presented in Fig.2.
SHUTTER CONTROL MODULE
The shutter control module creates comfortable lighting for the room in which it is installed. The device is operated by a photoresistor and by changing the tilt of the louvre blades, which is driven by an inbuilt servo drive. This module has several control modes.
In the first mode, the shutters will automatically close in bright light thanks to the photoresistor. When the button is pressed, the mode is changed with an audible message.
In the second mode, the shutter status is controlled by an IR signal sent from the remote control when a certain button is pressed. If the same button is pressed again, nothing will happen, but if another button is pressed, the status of the shutter will be changed and a record will be sent to the database. Thanks to the IR remote control it is possible to open or close the blinds remotely. After each state change, data on the shutter position and the mode in which the position change occurred are sent to the server. On the block diagram "1" is symbolised as return to the beginning of the cycle (Fig.3). Diagram and photo of the finished module are shown in Fig.4.
CABINET ACCESS MODULE
The cabinet access module is the most interesting in terms of the technologies used and has more functionality than the other modules presented in this article. The module works with RFID cards and tags. With the RFID reader, it will be possible to open or close the door depending on the unique identification number.
Two variants of module operation are implemented:
The door is opened from the database stored on the memory card connected to the module. At each start-up, the number of users on the memory card will be checked against the database. In the event that the number does not match, a corresponding message will be displayed on the LCD screen.
Opening the door and identification will be done by HTTP request to the server with the following request. After running one or another function, the program will return to waiting for the card to be attached. The main problem with this kind of work may be the delay, which is undesirable when there is a large flow of students. This problem is solved by replacing the HTTP request with a wired connection to the server via an RS-485 communication interface. However, this makes the solution wired.
As soon as the card is attached to the reader, the function of forming a request is started, followed by sending and receiving a response from the server. If the response from the server is negative, the red LED will light up and a text message will appear on the scoreboard informing that the access is denied (Fig.5, 1). In case of a positive response, the green LED will light up, the LCD display will show "PLEASE GO", and the piezoelectric sound emitter will emit a special signal (Fig.5, 2).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
In the course of the work done, the following modules were assembled and configured: module for climate readings control, blinds control and access to the office. Data on the status of the modules are output by means of RPi microcomputer to the site in the following form (Fig.6).
Also, as a result of the work, the skills that students need to build and customise these modules were identified and ranked by level of difficulty (Table 1). Where 1 is basic knowledge of programming and prototyping; 2 – understanding of the basics of HTTP protocol in addition to knowledge 1; 3 – understanding of the basics of narrowly specialised components of the module (e.g. IR signals or radio frequency identification) in addition to 2; 4 – ability to work with Linux-systems, databases and create web pages on HTML/CSS. It is planned to use the obtained results for the formation of methodological manuals.
Thus, the concept of a modular laboratory was developed and designed (Fig.7). The following modules were assembled and configured using IoT technologies, namely, climate readings control module, cabinet access and blinds control module. These modules are easy to assemble and configure, effective in using and learning IoT technologies. Each of the modules fulfils a specific function.
The climate control module allows automatic reading and entering of temperature, humidity and light readings into the database. The shutter control module allows optimal utilisation of natural light and control of natural light levels in laboratories. This not only reduces energy consumption, but also contributes to a comfortable working atmosphere, which is important for the productivity of students and teachers. The classroom access control module provides security by preventing unauthorised access and protecting valuable equipment. This contributes to the preservation of property and personal safety in educational institutions.
It should be noted that one of the key tasks of this work was to integrate the modules into the educational process of higher educational institutions of technical orientation. The blinds control module was tested on second-year students of the direction 15.03.04 "Automation of technological processes and productions" of the Department of IUTS of ISAU Dubna State University in its simpler modification. The students managed to assemble and configure the module in such a way that the control is performed using a remote control and IR receiver with subsequent recording of information on the site [11]. The site provides an opportunity to receive values sent from "smart" devices and store data with the possibility of further visualisation. In the future it is planned to introduce other developed modules into the educational process of the department.
CONCLUSIONS
The SmartLab modular laboratory is a promising solution for technical universities, which combines advanced technologies, optimisation of resources and creation of comfortable conditions for learning and research. Its implementation will contribute to the development of technical knowledges of future specialists and teach them to successfully cope with the challenges of the modern world.
In the future, it is planned to modify the solution [12] for remote measurements via WiFi, as well as to develop a module for improving storage conditions of various substances and experimental samples for chemical and biological laboratories. All the obtained solutions will be converted into methodological manuals with further testing in IoT courses and related disciplines, expanding the toolkit of the modular laboratory and creating flexible solutions for different types of tasks.
PEER REVIEW INFO
Editorial board thanks the anonymous reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work. It is also grateful for their consent to publish papers on the journal’s website and SEL eLibrary eLIBRARY.RU.
Declaration of Competing Interest. The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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