Skip to main content
European Commission logo print header

Remote LAboratory eXperimentation trial

Objetivo

ReLAX is aimed at assessing comparative advantages and disadvantages when introducing an innovative business model based on a new service, and assess how possible obstacles for exploitation and new business activities can be overcome. The service will provide global access to online remote experimentation and add a new dimension to distance learning and training. This creates new opportunities for distance learning, in particular within the engineering disciplines where hands-on experience is regarded as essential to acquire knowledge and professional skills. Innovative SW and methodology will be adapted and integrated, and new SW developed in order to connect and operate the facilities via the Internet and demonstrate high-quality service. The applicability of the new business model will be demonstrated and validated through a user case where remote online experimentation will be integrated with other multimedia learning resources.

OBJECTIVES
Main obj.: Trial a new business model of high value services utilising remote experimentation over the Internet in education and training. This will compensate for the decline in the use of physical experiments in engineering education, although experimentation constitute an important and complementary ingredient in learning and industrial training. Concrete objectives: 1) Assess the costs, benefits and disadvantages in utilising this high value service to the global engineering education market within distance learning. 2) Develop specifications and guidelines for connecting physical experiments to the Internet. 3) Evaluate the service requirements for the new business model in a real life educational setting. 4) Disseminate the business benefits to industry and educational institutions in Europe. 5) Enable wide re-deployment and exploitation of this new business model and service.

DESCRIPTION OF WORK
- Requirements and application specification. Definition of the technological requirements and standards for the laboratory experiments. Specifications for the service provider system for the organizing company;
- Application implementation and testing;
- Implementation of a remotely operable laboratory by connecting three physical experiments at three different locations to the Internet. The necessary service provider functionality for the organizing company will also be implemented;
- Adaptation of methods and technologies. Adaptation and development of the SW for remote operation and the SW and business model for the service provider system based on the user requirements;
- Real user case validation. Exposing a number of students in several countries to the remotely operated laboratory experiments. This will give realistic feedback on the strengths and weaknesses of using remote experimentation, and in addition serve as a validation of the technological aspects of the service;
- Measurement and evaluation of results. Evaluation of the experiences from using the remote laboratory experiments, both from a technical and educational point of view. The technical quality is in this business case a prerequisite for achieving educational quality, and the willingness to pay for access to remote experiments will only come from proven educational quality;
- Exploitation and dissemination. Focus on spreading the results of ReLAX to potential new users through a variety of dissemination activities. The involvement of an External User Group constitutes one important dissemination channel. The Exploitation plan will aim at creating a permanent new business based on brokerage of physical experiments through the Internet to a global market;
- Project Management, co-ordination within the project, including conflict resolution, QA and contact with the Commission.

Convocatoria de propuestas

Data not available

Régimen de financiación

BUR - Bursaries, grants, fellowships

Coordinador

NORGES TEKNISK-NATURVITENSKAPELIGE UNIVERSITET NTNU
Aportación de la UE
Sin datos
Dirección
HOEGSKOLERINGEN 1
7491 TRONDHEIM
Noruega

Ver en el mapa

Coste total
Sin datos

Participantes (4)