Use Remote Labs to conduct experiments from anywhere and at any time.
Remote Labs allow students to use real engineering and scientific hardware via the internet. Each setup includes electronic sensors and actuators to collect data. Cameras let students watch the experiments as they happen. We offer a secure software platform, ensuring easy access and reliable performance. Students can book online and access everything they need via a web browser. Our equipment is set up around campus, creating a science museum feel.
Our experiments include:
- Pendulums and spinning disks for mechanical and electrical engineering studies
- Trusses for civil engineering
- Refrigeration and condensation experiments for chemical engineering
- Vector network analysers for studying radio frequency engineering
Benefits for students and educators
Remote Labs complement traditional laboratories by offering extra time to explore class materials. Large classes can collaborate in lecture halls or tutorial rooms. This setup allows for live demonstrations that link theory to real-world applications. Students can monitor long-term experiments over days or weeks. Rich data streams give instant formative feedback, on demand by students. Staff can follow the progress of their students in real-time using our software.
Read our paper Student-Facing Learning Analytics Dashboard for Remote Lab Practical Work.
Access Remote Labs
Contact the team at RL.Eng@ed.ac.uk to find out how you can use Remote Labs or for demonstrations and access links.
We offer custom experiment design services that include hardware, software, user interfaces, and instructional design. Our experiments and design capability are available to internal and external users.
Contact us
Email the team at RL.Eng@ed.ac.uk or visit practable.io.
The team is led by Professor Timothy Drysdale, Chair of Technology Enhanced Science Education, and Director of Strategic Digital Education in the School of Engineering. Dr David Reid is the Experimental Officer for Remote Laboratories. Hardware and electronics design are provided by Andrew Brown and Imogen Heard.
