共享實驗資源的雲端實驗教學平台之開發
—以植物工廠為例

本研究開發可共用實驗資源之雲端實驗教學平台，以植物工廠環控系統作為教學實驗範例，並配以相應的雲端課程設計，旨在探討雲端教學及實驗的虛實整合的教學模式。雲端教學平台可以讓學員不受時間、空間的限制，其與遠端實驗教學系統的虛實整合，可以進一步提升學生的專題實作及解決實際問題的能力。植物工廠是一個跨越機電、園藝與能源等多個領域的產業與教學場域，自動化程度很高，對於雲端教學實驗的虛實整合具有代表性。臺灣大學投入數千萬經費建置研發與量產併用型植物工廠，加上多年來實驗室引導學生設計並製作多款植物工廠環控系統，並採用不同的機電架構及控制策略，對於植物工廠系統內的環境控制累積了很多經驗。為了充分運用這些實體實驗資源，也為了各校院能夠跨越時間、空間，彼此分享特有的實驗資源，本研究開發可以連接各式實驗模組的雲端實驗教學平台。研究團隊還聯合宜蘭大學、文化大學及臺灣大學進行跨校合作的植物工廠雲端實驗教學。在通過雲端平台實現資源共享的基礎上，雲端平台還在教學功能上作了一些新的嘗試，如借助教學互動系統ZUVIO所提供的學生互評、即時討論等功能，增加教師與學生，學生與學生之間的即時協作與互動；通過雲端資料庫記錄學生的整個學習過程，以便後續的追蹤和考察；建置專題實作成果分享區等。這些舉措可以提升學生智慧農業跨域 (包括機電工程、作物栽培、設施環控及節能減碳等議題)、團隊協作、自主學習與解決問題的核心能力，也讓學生可以自主安排學習時間，主導學習進度，實現學習的個人化。通過雲端平台學習之前測與後測的對比，可以發現學生在「觀察體驗、跨域合作和想像能力」等三項核心能力上皆有10%以上的顯著進步。此外，本研究還設計植物工廠環控競賽設備和實驗情境，並提供此設備和情境給台灣生物機電學會用以舉辦台灣節能減碳植物工廠環控競賽，同時可透過雲端平台進行遠端測試。競賽團隊來自五所校院超過40個團隊參加，每年一屆已經持續了七年。競賽的評分項目包括使用者介面，團隊分工合作，書面報告的創意表達及實機即時監控等四項。針對實機競賽，研究團隊開發一套評分公式以及自動記分程式用以公平評比競賽的成績。實驗室將競賽作為學生入學的第一個增能與培力的專題，利用此專題導向模式，有目標地學習機電等多領域的知能。此項競賽還得到產業界的認同，並獲得材料費與競賽獎金等贊助。這對於學生走出校園，彼此切磋學習很有幫助。

關鍵字

植物工廠；環控系統；網路服務；雲端教學；遠端實驗室；遠端監控

並列摘要

In this study, a cloud-based experiment platform is developed for learning and sharing experiment resources. The plant factory is used as an example of experiment facility and its corresponding courses are designed. We aim at exploring the cyber-physical experiment model. The platform let students do hands-on experiments and solve practical problems beyond the constrain of time and space. Plant factories are multidisciplinary industry, covering many disciplines such as mechatronics, horticulture and energy, etc. It is a highly automated system suitable for cultivating mechatronics talents. National Taiwan University (NTU) has invested tens of millions of funds in the construction of R&D and mass-production plant factories. Over the years, various types of plant factories have also been developed from our laboratory for both industrial use and teaching purpose. With those experiences, a lot of technologies are accumulated in the environmental control of plant factory systems. In order to make full use of these physical experimental resources, we share experimental resources with each other beyond the constrain of time and space. The cloud platform is developed to link various kinds of experimental modules. The research team of NTU cooperated with ones of National Ilan University (NIU) and Chinese Culture University (CCU) to carry out the cyber-physical experiment teaching. On the basis of resource sharing through the cloud platform, the study also makes some new attempts in the teaching functions, such as increasing teamwork and interaction among teachers and students with the help of peer review and real-time discussion which are provided by Interactive Response System ‘ZUVIO’; the whole learning behavior of students could be recorded in cloud database for the follow-up tracking and further investigation; student projects can also be upload to the platform for mutual sharing. These measures can improve the core competences of teamwork, independent learning and problem-solving in Smart Agriculture across disciplines (including mechatronics, crop cultivation, facility environmental control, energy-saving and carbon reduction issues). They also allow students to personalize their learning, including scheduling and managing their progress. Through the comparison between the pre-test and the post-test of learning in the cloud platform, we can find that students have made over 10% progress in three core competencies which are observation experience, multidisciplinary cooperation and imagination. In addition, this study also designs equipment and provides them for environmental control competition of plant factory, which is held by Taiwan Institute of Biological Mechatronics (TIBM), for energy saving and carbon reduction. The competition has been held for 7 years, and more than 40 teams from various universities join in. Before the competition, remote testing can be conducted through the cloud platform. There are 4 scoring items of competition include user interface, teamwork, written report and real-time control competition. For the real-time control scoring, the research team designed a set of scoring formula and developed a scoring program to automatically evaluate the competition performance. Newcomers to our laboratory take the competition as the first project to strengthen their competences. Through project-based learning, the students may learn knowledge and skill more purposefully in many fields, not only mechatronics. The competition got recognition from industry and got sponsorship in funding and prizes. This is quite helpful for students to learn from each other coming from different universities.