Deploying an IoT-based remote physics lab platform to enhance experimental physics education in remote regions

Abstract For several years, the educational gap in certain Latin American countries and around the world has become increasingly evident. The limited access to cutting-edge knowledge and technologies to strengthen student training processes has emerged as a significant problem, leading to increased inequality in job opportunities in these regions and progressive setbacks in social and economic development. One way to mitigate this problem has been to provide access to information through telecommunications. However, integration with educational processes has been deficient, especially in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This work proposes the development of a remote physics laboratory platform for experimental validation of models explaining certain physical phenomena. This platform is based on the Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm, allowing students and teachers to connect with these experiences coveringtopics in mechanics, electricity and magnetism, optics, and thermodynamics from remote regions. These laboratories utilize physical setups in educational institutions that have been modified to provide connectivity and remote control capabilities based on IoT. Finally, a framework for implementing new remote laboratories based on the IoT paradigm through an open-source platform is presented. The system has been tested and validated with high school and early university students to verify its usefulness, showing the potential to enhance educational processes by providing laboratory access to students and teachers from primary education to secondary education and university-level professional programs.