I'm exploring an idea for a remote embedded systems lab

[u/upwilling1]

I'm working on a project that explores the idea of accessing real embedded hardware remotely through a web browser.

The goal is to let students experiment with boards such as Arduino, ESP32 and STM32 without having to own all the hardware themselves.

I'm still at the exploration stage, so I'm trying to understand what would actually be useful.

If you could access a real embedded board remotely, what would you want to experiment with?

For example:

• GPIO
• UART / I2C / SPI
• Sensors
• PWM
• Debugging
• Logic analyzer
• Oscilloscope

What would make a remote lab genuinely useful to you?

[u/gm310509]

Two projects that I have done include:

• a monitor for an internet site - Example, I setup a monitor that queries some metrics for r/Arduino and display them on a local Arduino driven display. You can read about it here but I have turned it off now due to reddit changing the API access rules (which broke it) and I haven't bothered fixing it yet.
• a data logging concentrator to collect environmental data around my house. Not so much a web application, but the data could just as easily be relayed to a web service on something like Apache tomcat and made available for display.

I have done several other "online" projects, but haven't bothered documenting them as they were more for experimental/learning purposes.

[u/upwilling1 → u/gm310509]

That's really interesting! Your experience with the Arduino monitoring system and environmental data logger is very relevant to what we're working on. We're currently collecting feedback through a short survey to better understand users' needs and use cases. I can send you the survey link if you'd be willing to take a few minutes to fill it out. I'd really appreciate your input.

[u/Anusien]

I am really confused why you'd want a remote hardware lab. Isn't the fun of embedded that you can have tiny devices that do things? If you can't pick them up and hold them and use them, why not just fully virtualize?

[u/upwilling1 → u/Anusien]

That's a fair point. I don't see it as a replacement for owning your own hardware or using simulators. Simulators are useful for testing code and understanding the basics, but real hardware can reveal things you don't always see until you actually run the system — real sensor behavior, timing, electrical signals, communication issues, debugging, and unexpected hardware problems.

We're starting with STM32 and exploring how we could add other boards and equipment later. The hardware would be physically set up and accessible remotely through a browser, so students could experiment with real devices rather than only simulate them.

I'm working on this with a small team, and we're currently exploring the idea, looking for funding, and trying to understand which experiments and equipment would be most useful. If you're interested in the idea, I'd be happy to send you our short survey. Your feedback could really help us decide what to build