Virtual fences as protection against damage on physical equipment used in remote laboratories

The topic of this paper is to present a strategy for prevention of damage on laboratory equipment used in a remote laboratory. The laboratory is used for verification of control algorithms for quad rotor helicopters through practical experiments. The damage control strategy should not limit or impede the natural movement of the equipment as long as the behaviour is kept within predefined limits. The nature of the system to be controlled, exclude the use of physical constraints that are normally used for damage control, as these in some way or another will impede or limit the movement of the helicopter.