Remote accessible/fully controllable fiber optic systems laboratory design and implementation

Abstract

In private and expensive experimental laboratory studies, there are problems such as difficulty in accessing measuring devices and materials, space and time problems, and insufficient technical support due to the need for expertise. In this study, a fiber optic laboratory (FOL), which can be used for educational and scientific research purposes, has high installation costs and has difficulty in accessing devices, was designed and realized as a remote accessible/fully controllable. All devices in the proposed laboratory have been virtualized on the MATLAB App Designer platform, and communication protocols have been defined and made remotely accessible and controllable. In the proposed system, the user accessed remotely can perform all device controls, record the measurement results, take the measurement average as much as he wants to increase the measurement accuracy, monitor the experimental setup with a camera, and receive expert support. Afterward, a sample experiment was set up on the system and the results were compared. The proposed laboratory has a high potential to establish international collaborations in remote/flexible work and scientific research. Finally, a scale was applied to FOL undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral student groups. The Cronbach α coefficient showing the reliability of the applied model was found to be .934.