SUMMARY
In this paper, the design and implementation of a web-based 3D virtual control laboratory with user interaction is introduced. The proposed system is based on NCSLab framework which has a six-tier distributed structure. Users are able to access diversely located resources through a unified user interface. In order to maximum the users’ sense of immersion during the virtual experiments, the 3D models of the practical test rigs are reconstructed in the users’ web-browsers. The 3D images are synchronized with the remote real-time simulation on the server side through the internet data link, so the users are able to sense how the experiment procedures are going on. Moreover, the users are also allowed to interact with the virtual devices. They can operate on the virtual test rigs using the mice and keyboards like turning on/off a switch and changing the valve positions etc. These interactivities are uploaded to the server side where the corresponding internal parameters are updated automatically. The system implementation and deployment such as the 3D web-based interface, 3D modelling, mathematical modelling and internet based communication among the clients, servers and control units are explained in details. To illustrate how a given experimental process is integrated in the system, a classic coupled tank test rig is selected as an example at the end of the paper.