Design and implementation of a low-cost remote tank control system for engineering and technology education

Abstract

In this paper, we describe the design and implementation of a low-cost tank control system for engineering and technology education which arose according to the challenges for education produced by the pandemic of COVID-19. The interest with this investigation was to develop in a short time a remote laboratory for control systems education wherein the students were able to design and implement their digital classic controllers (P, PI, and PID). In the remote laboratory, the students can program their digital controllers using the programming language Python and performing the tasks that are commonly employed in control systems such as plant identification, modeling, controller design, implementation, and debugging. From the technical perspective, the laboratory is composed of two tanks whose level is measured by an analog ultrasonic sensor and it is controlled by a Raspberry Pi with a set of motor pumps. The laboratory is embedded in a web engine which allows the students to access it from their homes or in any location. At last, we expose the different experiments with the plant and the control system to illustrate the features and potentialities of the proposed remote laboratory.