Remote Control Laboratory for Three-Tank Hydraulic System Using Matlab, Websockets and JavaScript

Abstract

This work aims to introduce a new architecture for building virtual and remote laboratories where the building blocks are represented by the Matlab/Simulink computing and simulation software, WebSocket communication technology and a front-end application created in JavaScript programming language. Matlab does not have direct support for WebSockets, but the implementation of the MatlabWebSocket library on the Matlab server has allowed connection through WebSockets that has been accepted with the client side realized in JavaScript. Additionally to the interactivity that is heavily supported by JavaScript, the remote laboratory has been visualized on the client side in 3D by implementation of the Three.js JavaScript library. From the control point of view the new remote laboratory enables to compare nonlinear feedback control with dynamical feedforward control respecting input saturation where in both cases a nonlinear disturbance observer can be used. WebSocket communication technology and the corresponding client interface in the form of a web application create possibilities for the presented remote laboratory to run from the Internet browser and no dedicated application is needed as it was in previous Matlab based laboratories what can be considered as a main contribution.