An Online Laboratory For Students

Replies

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  Kaustubh Katdare

  @arunravindran: That's a fantastic idea. I think we'd need some more information about your concept to come up with more ideas. My assumption is that the laboratory will be made available in the form of an online service that will let users login and select the lab they want to use [ Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical etc.]. Once they select the lab, they'll be presented with various relevant equipment to perform experiments, under various configurations.
  
  Have you finalized on technology you wish to use? Is it going to be FLASH or the modern HTML5?
• 

  bill190

  Perhaps visual block diagrams... Arrows, and blocks?
  
  Here is free open source software for that...
  #-Link-Snipped-#
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  sookie

  @arunravindram,
  I am already on my way to it but somewhat in a bit different and better way though motive is somewhat same. If you have further interest in working with me, get in touch with me "offline" regarding it. Rest is your own wish 😀
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  Kaustubh Katdare

  @Sookie: If possible, please try to keep the discussion online for the benefit of larger audience. It would be nice if this can be a CE Labs project 😀
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  sookie

  The_Big_K

  @Sookie: If possible, please try to keep the discussion online for the benefit of larger audience. It would be nice if this can be a CE Labs project 😀

  Sorry it may be hurting for you and many but I am(and will be) very passionate about my this idea[now even others' also :-| ] . Though I wanted it to keep it up to me until it comes to work but... :-|
  
  P.S.If you want I can go for any other project for CE labs.
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  Kaustubh Katdare

  😀 , No issues. You're always welcome to take up any project through CE labs.
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  arunravindran

  Hi guys,
  
  Thanks for your wonderful response..
  @ The_Big_K: You are right. There are going to be users all across the globe who'll get a chance to create an account and work full-time doing all sorts of experiments they want to do..There'll be feedback form so that if there are any queries, the users can send them and we can use them efficiently for further maintenance of our website.. I would love to make it a CE lab project.
  @sookie: I appreciate sookie that you came up with this idea before. (I came up with this 3 years back when i was in college but with other commitments I had to defer it, i reckon some ppl might have came up with this idea during the 1990s, don't know). This is not a tug of war or anything. We are doing something for the community. Imagine sookie, just because of our idea (i mean it as ours and not mine or yours), we could benefit the lives of several people who do not have enough resources available with them. I would request everyone to take part in this. Post your ideas. Let your imagination and creativity work wonders for the world. I have the project in my dreams but to make it possible I request everyone who can, to move forward and help(including you sookie, if you wish to).
  Let this be People's Project.
  
  
  "Big wonders are created by a Team of Inspired Individuals..."
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  Manish Goyal

  I doubt feasibility of this project
  
  How can it help ?will it be different from ce labs section?
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  arunravindran

  Please put some light over CE Labs section... Moreover, i added one more thing..Create virtually...
  
  
  I am just 2 days old to CE..
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  Manish Goyal

  I think by reading various threads
  
  You will understand more
  
  click here :- #-Link-Snipped-#
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  Kaustubh Katdare

  CE Labs is just a discussion section. I think a bigger, virtual, interactive laboratory is being planned.
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  sookie

  The_Big_K

  😀 , No issues. You're always welcome to take up any project through CE labs.

  Thanks!
  
  

  arunravindran

  This is not a tug of war or anything. We are doing something for the community.

  Ha ha ! Thing is not about tug of war with the idea or who came with the idea first or last. Not at all ! Thing is about working the way I have already set in my mind.(of course it may change)
  
  

  arunravindran

  Let this be People's Project.

  Sure, Please go ahead people's way ! But if you make the entire(if not entire but many) people to be a part of a project- it will become nothing else but just a mess. Recall "Too many cooks spoil the whole curry." People should be involved only at stages when you know you need suggestions of the people for whom you are making something. Not in the starting.
  
  Taking example of people involvement only
  #1 you and me wasted our precious time in discussing no-use stuffs instead of doing something productive right?
  #2 1 fellow here just now talked about feasibility means already bringing the thing almost to a halt just before giving it a try and thought.
  
  So people involvement gave no good output but consumed good time for no reasons and I am sure it will continue. "To do something passionately, one need to get lost in his/her own world ...far from the world and people" as per me.
  
  If you are really interested then let's take it better offline else Please go ahead with your and people's way. Thanks and All the Best ! 😀
  
  @goyal420: Regarding feasibility

  "Nothing is unrealistic" - Wills Smith.

• 

  Manish Goyal

  @sookie i agree nothing is unrealistic
  
  I was just curious to know how this project can be productive ?whether it will be limited to discussions or something else but if you want to keep everything secret then it's ok
  
  Best of luck for your project 😀
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  arunravindran

  @sookie: Thanks for your suggestion..The feasibility question might be a hindrance to you but its goyal420's curiosity that made him ask this question.. And he had right to ask.. And it serves as an opportunity for me..to learn more and get involved more..
  @The_Big_K: yes, its more like a virtual environment..
• 

  sookie

  @#-Link-Snipped-# Coming to your original question of "how to go" -> use 3D-graphics if you can and I am sure you can make a very good rocking virtual lab using it. That's what is my idea of approach. don't go for any flash and html, they will just provide you with basic functionality of website but not virtual thing. Learn 3D- graphics and go ahead.
  
  Good luck everyone ! 😀
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  arunravindran

  @sookie: thats the same approach i was taking...wud java be a good choice???
• 

  sookie

  arunravindran

  @sookie: thats the same approach i was taking...wud java be a good choice???

  What problems you faced by using 3d-graphics ? Did you look upon Java 3D ?
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  arunravindran

  @sookie:Thanks for your support.. 😀 I thought Java 3D would be a good one which also provides 3D effect to the virtual lab which i was planning to make...what would you suggest??
• 

  mayjune

  Even i don't understand how a virtual lab can be helpful? In what way? This is not a question to sookie if he doesn't want to answer, but just a discussion i want to have with you all? What all can it have in what way that a certain interface helps me today?
  
  What i think :-
  
  1) One thing would be to categorize people and help them to interact in an efficient manner. For example a whiteboard in a conference room to discuss things virtually.
  
  2) To allow group members to broadcast, multicast and unicast information regarding the project.
  
  3) To allow people to get other group members, with tools like maybe able to create mind maps or write flowcharts online and post it with your idea so that other people can come, see the idea, discuss there flowcharts or maybe create graphs and share etc and finalize a group member.
  
  4) Show all the active projects, create your own dead lines and time lines, who is working on what till when so things are clear to all.
  
  5) Live updates to any information that is crucial for example any changes regarding the project deadlines, or guidelines etc....
  
  6) A Search window, which is specifically designed to help you in project ideas. Unlike google search, which gives you everything related to it. This will be very specific. Need more ideas on it.
  
  7) Sharing code as we type. Instead of coding finalizing and sharing code, as I write a code, that code is being seen (and if allowed other person can also edit the code and i can view it) and thus the code is being written and discussed live.
  
  8) To be able to share and update files live maybe for example with something like dropbox. See dropbox if you don't know what it is.
  
  ummm thats all I can think of now.
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  arunravindran

  Hi guys,
  
  In simple words, its going to be what people do at labs. Generally when we sit in the labs and do our experiments, we have to browse, get the info, do loads of paperworks, then do tests etc.etc. So what i propose is a system that enables them to do the same thing in an interactive manner online. Besides all that, they can share or even get guys with the same interest to join and work together on the same project. A simple example: Suppose if i want to do a project/experiment and if i want to get more information for it, i have to search the net, get the information, move back to my experiment table or whatever, do the things. Also my network of partners/contributors would be limited to only people around me.(i.e.people who'll be doing the project with me). This lab would provide information, people, resources and environment to do what one likes to do. Something which can merge everything into one.
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  arunravindran

  Also this is not limited to computer engineers alone.
• 

  mayjune

  arunravindran

  Hi guys,
  
  In simple words, its going to be what people do at labs. Generally when we sit in the labs and do our experiments, we have to browse, get the info, do loads of paperworks, then do tests etc.etc. So what i propose is a system that enables them to do the same thing in an interactive manner online. Besides all that, they can share or even get guys with the same interest to join and work together on the same project. A simple example: Suppose if i want to do a project/experiment and if i want to get more information for it, i have to search the net, get the information, move back to my experiment table or whatever, do the things. Also my network of partners/contributors would be limited to only people around me.(i.e.people who'll be doing the project with me). This lab would provide information, people, resources and environment to do what one likes to do. Something which can merge everything into one.

  Hey I had posted some ideas on what we can do for it. Do you think its similar to what I said? Please see the post previously...
• 

  arunravindran

  @mayjune: Absolutely..
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  Manish Goyal

  hmmmm Sounds interesting carry on Guys
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  arunravindran

  @goyal420: Thanks buddy for ur support... 😀
• 

  csiscool

  CEans,
  Nice thread..Good idea fellas
  For your information..There are the softwares available in internet that helps to do the things that specified in this thread,
  Guess Or Find the software name ! ..this is a challenge..If any of you not able to find the software Name , I will post the name along with link to download the software later. 😉 😀
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  chemengi2012

  we at our college are already working on this virtual lab project..project being sponsored by mhrd.in this students sitting at their home can actually trigger the experiments through internet..for more information goto #-Link-Snipped-# ur college is also listed in that please contact ur faculty advisor so that u also get to work in this mega project .