Structuring a Multi-user Laboratory Considering the Context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution
摘要
The World Economic Forum report (2022, p. 40 and p. 42) emphasizes, on a global scale, the relevance of education and skills development in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Through two of its main areas of activity, the Centre for the New Economy and Society and the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the document highlights the need to improve the provision of education and training for students and workers in the new economy. In the context of professional qualification, the introduction of advanced manufacturing will require the training of professionals, the creation of new job profiles and adjustments to training courses. The objective of this work is to present the structuring of a multi-user laboratory, composed of a physical and a virtual platform, which allows local and remote access, aiming to prepare education for the challenges of future manufacturing. To achieve this objective, this work uses computer simulation and case study as research strategies to develop a teaching platform that allows demonstrating the integration of various technologies and devices, in addition to promoting the development of technical and personal skills in the context of Industry 4.0. The results obtained demonstrate the feasibility of implementing a multi-user laboratory structure, both physical and virtual, with local and remote access. The physical platform is integrated through four levels (Device, Control, Software, User), while the virtual platform uses a Node.js web server to enable external access to the laboratory website. In addition, Node-RED is used to facilitate the integration of any system to the server via HTTP protocol, allowing real-time data exchange via the MQTT protocol. The integration between the physical and virtual laboratory was validated by connection tests, allowing remote configuration and operation in real time. The development at the university facilitates learning, knowledge dissemination and continuous improvement. In addition, the proposal strengthens collaboration between academia and industry, aligning with the challenges of Industry 4.0 and government strategies to boost competitiveness and economic growth.