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Research Institute of Intelligent Computer Systems Ternopil National Economic University |
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2007, Vol. 6, Issue 2 |
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Contents and abstracts
EDITORIAL Guest Editors: Oleksandr Palagin 1) and Wieslaw Winiecki 2)
1) V.M. Glushkov Institute of Cybernetics of This special issue of the International Scientific Journal of Computing includes the selection of papers concerning Virtual Instrumentation (VI) and Virtual Laboratories (VL). Virtual-reality techniques enable us to move in the world created by computers and not existing in reality, to operate devices which are not real devices and to create quite new possibilities in developing new ideas. Virtual reality has come to metrology as virtual instrumentation. Virtual instruments are the fourth generation of measuring devices. The term „Virtual Instrument” (VI) can be interpreted in various ways. This problem was also considered by the authors of this Issue. Analysing various definitions, one can say that there is no universal industry-defined terminology of what composes a VI. Criteria, which allow us to qualify measurement equipment as a VI and to differentiate a VI from a measuring system with a graphic user interface (GUI), are not described well. For further consideration let us take on a following descriptive definition of a virtual instrument: „Virtual Instrument can be described as an instrument composed of a general-purpose computer equipped with cost-effective measurement hardware blocks (internal and/or external) and software, that perform functions of traditional instrument determined both by hardware and software, and operated by means of specialised graphics on the computer screen”. Virtual instrument usually consists of PC-type computer and measurement hardware units such as: data acquisition boards, signal generating boards, VXI modules, IEEE-488 instruments, RS-232 instruments and others. Each unit can be connected directly to PC bus (as plug-in board), or via interface (as external unit). Virtual instrument can be bought or designed and built by a user, who defines its functions and features designing appropriate software. The software integrates the PC and the measurement hardware units, creating new virtual instrument; so that this software is the integrated part of the instrument. The functionality of the VI depends on the software processing technique. The above-mentioned features of virtual instruments led to the creation of virtual instrumentation-based laboratories, called Virtual Laboratories. The development of telecommunication and computer technologies inspires the invention of a new device and system design methodologies. The traditional model based on a fixed infrastructure is being replaced by a new, virtual and flexible model based on the distributed information infrastructure. The new teleengineering methods are based primarily on the global infrastructure supplied by the dynamically developing Internet. The use of Internet in metrology resulted in the creation of distributed virtual instruments (DVI), and its obvious consequence was the opening of distributed virtual laboratories (DVL). Due to its rapid development observed in the recent years, mobile telephony has become an object of interest for system designers and engineers in several fields of applications, not limited to the original purpose of wireless voice communication. The most apparent of these uses are: textual information services, electronic business and entertainment. However, with the advent of the third-generation mobile telephony, tightly integrated with computer networks, it is becoming possible to use a mobile phone as an element of distributed virtual laboratories. In the majority of cases, a mobile phone is only one of the elements of the distributed virtual laboratory, usually providing control and presentation functions; it is required to cooperate with controllers and sensors and, therefore, must be properly interfaced. The nature of the intermediary interface depends on the transmission technique used. For instance, endorsing the short message system (SMS), as described in [6], requires the usage of another mobile terminal and a hardware interface on the sensor side. The papers selected for this special issue were produced by authors from Italy, Canada, Ukraine, Poland, Czech Republic, Croatia and Greece. It is not a coincidence that the significant contribution was made by the Italian authors as they are leaders in both, the theoretical survey on the virtual instrumentation and in practical application of the virtual laboratories. Besides, this was Italy where the biggest and the most technologically advanced Remote Didactic Laboratory „G. Savastano”, described in a few articles of this magazine, was established. Brief introduction to virtual instrumentation is presented in the first paper “THE EVOLUTION OF THE MODERN INSTRUMENTS TOWARD VIRTUAL DISTRIBUTED ARCHITECTURES” by L. Cristaldi, A. Ferrero and S. Salicone. Basic architecture of the modern Distributed Virtual Instruments as well as some of their most significant applications and the major metrological problems raised by these systems are described. The authors observe that the most interesting evolution of the remote measurement systems is probably the implementation of remote laboratories for didactic purposes. E-learning is one of the keywords in the modern education system, since it offers the possibility of spreading knowledge also in the case when the potential students, for some reasons, cannot attend traditional classes. In conclusion, the authors find that the main problem posed by the distributed virtual systems is their metrological characterization. Uncertainty estimation, though mandatory, is still far from being a known, universally accepted task. A lot of work is still required by the experts to find a suitable, theoretical and practical sound solution to this problem. The following three papers concern the internetbased remote laboratories. In the paper “INTERNET REMOTE LABORATORY SYSTEM” by E. Michta, W. Miczulski, P. Powroznik and D. Eljasz , the evolution of the remote laboratory architecture is presented and the benefits following from the use of an application environment in the form of Web services are pointed out. A remote metrology laboratory solution is described. The paper “ICT IN INSTRUMENTATION AND MEASUREMENT: EDUCATION AND SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS” by R. Rak gives the review of reasons for developing and adopting the new Information and Communication Technology tools in teaching and scientific research in the field of Instrumentation & Measurement. It includes the description of the Internet- and multimedia-based educational model (e-learning). Then, follows the description of the structure and tools of the modern scientific electronic book (ebook). In conclusion, the author discovers that an important objective for the future is the remote Virtual Laboratory, a very useful tool for teaching purposes in distance learning. Nevertheless, one has to bear in mind that neither the modern simulation techniques nor the remote access to virtual laboratories eliminate the necessity of conducting experiments in real laboratories with the use of real instruments. The paper “REMOTE-CONTROL MEASUREMENT SYSTEM BASED ON THE IEEE-488” by P. Cesak and J. Roztocil presents a complete system for the remote measurement based on the client-server communication structure over the Internet. The measuring part of the system is based on the IEEE- 488 interface bus by which the instruments are connected to the server. A TCP connection is applied in order to exchange information between the client and server application. The next three papers concern Remote Didactic Laboratory Distributed over a Wide Area Network (Laboratorio Didattico Remoto – LA.DI.RE. (“G. Savastano”). The LA.DI.RE. “G. Savastano” VL is an innovative distance education system, including the VL for the experimental activities, oriented to teaching of the electric and electronic measurement subjects. The paper “VIRTUAL LABORATORY AS REALISTIC TOOL FOR THE E-LEARNIND IN THE ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC MEASUREMENT AND INSTRUMENTATION” by D. Grimaldi, S. Rapuano, M. Riccio and F. Zoino deals with the research project adopting the elearning methodologies for teaching in the field of electrical and electronic measurement and instrumentation. The hardware and the software architecture of the Laboratory LA.DI.RE. “G. Savastano” is described and the innovative solutions addressing the requirements of reality are examined and investigated. The core of the system is the Learning Management System (LMS). In the paper “INTERDISCIPLINARY REMOTE DIDACTIC LABORATORY “G.SAVASTANO”: PHYSICS APPLICATION” by A. Apergis, S. Rapuano and F. Zoino the interdisciplinary aspect of LA.DI.RE. “G. Savastano” is highlighted, showing the possibility to provide different real experiments independent of the software development environment, thanks to the use of an open Learning Management System (LMS). The authors present an optical physics experiment representing a practical session within a Physics course realized in collaboration with the researchers from the University of Sannio, in Italy, and the University of Thessaloniki in Greece. The paper “EXPLORING THE MOBILE DEVICES AS A NEW FRONTIER FOR THE ELEARNING IN INSTRUMENTATION AND MEASUREMENT” by D. Cmuk, D. Grimaldi and S. Rapuano treats the use of the mobile devices in teaching the electrical and electronic measurement and instrumentation. By referring to the services delivered to the students from the Remote Didactic Laboratory Laboratorio Didattico Remoto – LA.DI.RE. “G. Savastano”, different solutions have been proposed basing on several software architectures and on the characteristics of the mobile devices. The authors rightly state that the mobile-learning establishes a new frontier in the research in the field of the e-learning in the electrical and electronic measurement and instrumentation. The following three papers describe the concrete, practical applications of distributed virtual laboratories. In the paper "DISTRIBUTED ON-LINE TEMPERATURE CONTROL SYSTEM” by V. Hrusha, O. Osolinsky, A. Sachenko and R. Kochan the prototype of the distributed on-line temperature control system has been presented. The hardware of the prototype includes the data acquisition modules which are connected with local server and freehosting web-server. The main feature of the proposed structure is its portability to the system with different hardware structure. It is also presented the investigation of dynamic characteristics of real time control system. In the paper “VIRTUAL LABORATORY FOR COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN OF BIOSENSORS” by O. Palagin, V. Romanov, I. Galelyuka and M. Kachanovska the structure and organization of typical virtual laboratory for computer-aided design of biosensors are considered. The goal of creating a virtual laboratory is to lighten the work of design engineers and to make it possible for the scientists and specialists of different areas to develop their own devices, estimate work hypothesis and fulfil virtual experimental researches. The paper “SYSTEM OF THE REMOTE ACCESS VIA INTRANET/INTERENET TO THE DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSOR DSP56307 TO DEBUG PROGRAMS, LEARN THE PERIPHERALS AND REALIZE DIFFERENT EXPERIMENTS” by V.D. Tsidelko, V.M. Karpa and S.V. Ryabchuk presents the system of the remote access via Intranet/Internet to the digital signal processor DSP56307. The system allows to debug programs, learn the peripherals and realize different experiments with the use of this processor. The worked out system represents the software/hardware complex which include three components: client, server and six working stations. The next paper “HAPTIC HUMAN INTERFACES FOR ROBOTIC TELEMANIPULATION” by E. M. Petriu, P. Payeur, and Ana-Maria Cretu only ostensibly digresses from the subject the remaining papers treat. For it concerns Human Machine Interface, but describes hands-on virtual laboratory environment for robotic telemanupulation. This paper discusses the basic generation principles for the local geometric and force profile components of the tactile feedback provided by the haptic human interfaces. This approach allows for the design of specialized haptic human interfaces that are optimized for typical haptic manipulation tasks. Examples of tactile human interfaces developed by the authors for telerobotic blind tactile exploration of objects and for telerobotic hapto-visual stylus-style tool manipulation are presented to illustrate the proposed design approach. The paper concludes with the description of a neural network hapto-visual modeling technique that allows the capture, storage, and rendering in real-time of the complex elastic properties of 3D objects from the experimental tactile and the range imaging data. Finally, the paper “MANAGEMENT OF ELABORATORIES – DEVELOPMENT THROUGH BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE” by T. Mutapcic, D. Cmuk and R. Malaric presents a design of the future Web-based measurement laboratory, as a result of applying a new architectural approach taking into account the state-of-the-art technology as well as the strategy for the future business perspective. The paper discusses the results of preliminary testing, using Appreciative Inquiry methodology, that are the basis for conceiving, designing and preparing marketing aspects of an e-laboratories and mlaboratories, considering its cost-effectiveness and the multifunctionality of the applied model for a wide range of users. The result of this new approach will completely optimize current “e” and “m” laboratory solutions. Management through business perspective is not only a technical development; it also includes educational, humanitarian, and commercial aspects. We hope you, the readers, will find the papers interesting and useful.
THE EVOLUTION OF THE MODERN INSTRUMENTS TOWARD Loredana Cristaldi, Alessandro Ferrero, Simona Salicone
Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32 – 20133 Milano During the last decades, Digital Signal Processing techniques and devices have undergone an impressive evolution that led their performance to increase manifold. One of the fields that has greatly benefited of this evolution is that of instrumentation and measurement. DSP-based techniques are presently the most employed techniques in industrial and scientific measurement applications, so that modern instruments are actually computers with dedicated interfaces and dedicated software. The full exploitation of the computing features has led to the development of the Virtual Instruments, and, more recently, to the development of Distributed Instruments. This paper is aimed at briefly discussing the architecture of the modern Virtual, Distributed Instruments, some of their most significant applications and the major metrological problems raised by these systems. INTERNET REMOTE LABORATORY SYSTEM (IRLS) Emil Michta, Wieslaw Miczulski, Piotr Powroznik, Dariusz Eljasz
University of Zielona Gora, Institute of Electrical Metrology In the article, the evolution of remote laboratory architectures is presented and the benefits following from the use of an application environment in the form of Web services are pointed out. It is suggested that an education space comprising remote laboratory domains managed by a service broker, co-operating with clients and a laboratory server should be distinguished. A remote metrology laboratory solution is presented.
ICT IN INSTRUMENTATION AND MEASUREMENT: Remigiusz J. Rak Warsaw University of Technology, pl. Politechniki 1, 00-661, Warsaw, Poland, rrak@okno.pw.edu.pl The article gives a review of reasons for developing and adopting the new ICT tools in teaching and scientific research in the field of Instrumentation & Measurement. It includes a description of the Internet- and multimedia-based educational model (e-learning). Then follows a description of the structure and tools of the modern scientific electronic book (e-book). The last part is oriented on Virtual Instruments, remote experiments and Virtual Laboratory.
REMOTE-CONTROL MEASUREMENT SYSTEM Petr Cesak 1), Jaroslav Roztocil 2)
1) Czech Technical University, Technicka 2, 16627 Prague 6, CZ, cesakp1@fel.cvut.cz, measure.feld.cvut.cz The paper presents a complete system for remote measurement. The system is based on the client-server communication structure over the Internet. One part considers the client application – it is used by a user to control the measurement. Second part deals with the server – the server application itself and local connection the instruments over the IEEE-488 interface bus. The communication between client and server is built on TCP connection.
VIRTUAL LABORATORY AS REALISTIC TOOL FOR THE E-LEARNING Domenico Grimaldi 1), Sergio Rapuano 2), Mariella Riccio 2, 3), Francesco Zoino 2, 3)
1) DEIS, University of Calabria, 87036 Rende (CS), E-mail: grimaldi@deis.unical.it,
INTERDISCIPLINARY REMOTE DIDACTIC LABORATORY A. Apergis 1), S. Rapuano 2), F. Zoino 2, 3)
1) Physics Department, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece, E.mail aaperg@physics.auth.gr E-learning offers to the student’s didactic tools and course materials over Internet. By distributing tools and materials in this fashion, students isolated from the University environment can still obtain University degrees in many fields. Courses that include laboratory sessions have traditionally required students to be on-site. This is primarily due to the need for laboratory resources to be located in a single site for both practical and safety reasons. This fact hampered the freedom of non traditional (off campus) students to achieve their educational goals. The web adaptations of software packages such as LabVIEW allow control of experiments over Internet. Remote laboratories then become possible. In this framework the Remote Laboratory Distributed on Geographical Network LA.DI.RE. “G.Savastano” of University of Sannio [1] was born, with the aim of developing a virtual learning environment to deliver, through the distance learning methodologies, theoretical lessons as well as laboratory activity on real measurement instrumentation. The paper highlights the interdisciplinary aspect of LA.DI.RE. “G. Savastano”, showing the possibility to provide different real experiments independent of software development environment, thanks to use of an open Learning Management System (LMS) and concerning different didactic fields. In this case the authors present a physics experiment representing a practical session within a Physics course realized in collaboration by researchers of the University of Sannio, in Italy, and University of Thessaloniki in Greece.
EXPLORING THE MOBILE DEVICES AS A NEW FRONTIER Drago Cmuk 1), Domenico Grimaldi 2), Sergio Rapuano 3)
1) Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, Zagreb, Croatia, The mobile-learning establishes a new frontier for the research of the e-learning in the electrical and electronic measurement and instrumentation. Indeed, the reduced functionalities of the mobile devices must be integrated with the typologies of the services delivered to the student. By referring to the Remote Didactic Laboratory Laboratorio Didattico Remoto – LA.DI.RE. “G. Savastano” the delivered services taken into account are: experiment visualization, experiment control, and experiment creation. In order to enable the user of the mobile device to view, control and create the experiment application, several software architectures have been considered. Finally, the description of the solution adopted is given in the framework of the LA.DI.RE. “G. Savastano”. DISTRIBUTED ON-LINE TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT&CONTROL SYSTEM Volodymyr Hrusha, Olexandr Osolinskiy, Anatoly Sachenko, Roman Kochan
Research Institute of Intelligent Computer Systems, Ternopil National Economic University There is founded reasonability of implementation of measurement and control system with internet capability and proposed structure of its software in this paper. The main features of proposed structure are in its portability to system with different hardware structure. Also there is presented of investigation of dynamic characteristics of real time control system.
VIRTUAL LABORATORY FOR COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN O. Palagin, V. Romanov, I. Galelyuka, M. Kachanovska
V.M. Glushkov Institute of Cybernetics of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Fast development of information technologies puts strict requirements to terms and costs of designing of computer devices and systems. These requirements may be fulfilled with help of virtual methods of designing, which are realized by means of virtual laboratories of computer-aided design.
SYSTEM OF THE REMOTE ACCESS VIA INTRANET/INTERNET TO THE Vladislav Tsidelko, Victor Karpa
National Technical University of Ukraine «Kiev Polytechnical Institute» System of the Remote Access via Intranet/Internet to the digital signal processor DSP56307 allows to debug programs, learn the peripherals and realize different experiments of the using this processor. The worked out system represents the software/hardware complex which include three components: client, server and six working stations. Debugging module of the working station includes two DSP56307EVM which gives the opportunity to learn the peripherals of this processor really for the first time (interfaces HOST, ESSI, SCI and timer). Virtual instruments on the client side (generator, oscilograph, spectrum analyzer) give the opportunity to realize the experiments of using the DSP in the regime of the FFT, digital filtering, generation of the signals, etc. There are two regimes of the working of the system: a) N-clients – one working station; b) N-clients – six working stations. HAPTIC HUMAN INTERFACES FOR ROBOTIC TELEMANIPULATION Emil M. Petriu, Pierre Payeur, and Ana-Maria Cretu
School of Information Technology and Engineering Recent investigation in haptic man-robot interaction suggests that there are ultimately only two topical tactile feedback generation modalities for haptic human interfaces. These allow the human operator to handle either (i) temporary virtual reality-based material replicas of the local geometric and/or force profile at the contact areas of an unlimited set of generic objects that could virtually be handled during the manipulation, or (ii) permanent material replicas of a limited set of typical objects. In this paper, the two modalities are analyzed and examples of tactile human interfaces developed by the authors for telerobotic blind tactile exploration of objects, and for telerobotic hapto-visual stylus-style tool manipulation are presented to illustrate the proposed approaches. The necessary modelling of the elastic properties of 3D objects from experimental tactile and range imaging data is also presented using a neural network architecture that becomes an important component of the haptic interface.
MANAGEMENT OF E-LABORATORIES – DEVELOPMENT THROUGH Tarik Mutapcic, Drago Cmuk, Roman Malaric Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, Zagreb, Croatia This paper presents a design of a future Web based measurement laboratory, by applying new architectural approach considering the state of art of advanced technology as well as the strategy for the future business perspective. Such approach also provides a lot of solutions and applications under the real conditions covering different areas of industrial research, operational analysis and system research methods. The paper discusses the results of preliminary testing using Appreciative Inquiry methodology, that are the basis for conceiving, designing and preparing marketing aspects of an e-laboratories and m-laboratories, considering its cost-effectiveness and multifunctionality of the applied model for a wide range of users. The result of this new approach will completely optimize current “e” and “m” laboratory solutions [1]. Management through business perspective is not only technical development, it also includes educational, humanitarian, and commercial aspects. |