Compact flexible router based remote experimenting system

The rapidly changing needs of modern education can be effectively supported by today´s small, intelligent devices including tablet PCs, smart phones programmable routers and credit-card sized computers like the Raspberry PI. Since there are many available sensors on the market, it is rather easy to connect real world signal to these devices like temperature, light intensity, acceleration and many more. This way an exciting, cheap, transparent and very efficient software-based real experimentation can be carried out at different levels of education. Our solution is based on a flexible, easily programmable popular router and a universal sensor-to-USB interface with open source software and hardware plus well documented educational applications. The router provides a computer platform for data acquisition and control while also serves as a remotely accessible device through its wired and wireless ports. In our presentation we shall briefly introduce the system setup and the connection of sensors and actuators. We have developed and tested a simple but efficient temperature control example educational application that can be remotely monitored and controlled via the internet. The transparent hardware and software can be used to attract students´ attention, also supports the development of creativity by allowing modifications of the software and hardware configuration.