Modern embedded systems play a central role in cutting-edge technological solutions, from intelligent sensing to autonomous systems. However, academic environments often lack integrated and collaborative infrastructure that supports hands-on, real-world experimentation across institutions. This gap hinders both the educational experience of students and the development of impactful, interdisciplinary research projects. The absence of a shared platform results in duplicated efforts, limited access to advanced setups, and missed opportunities for cross-pollination of ideas. Students often lack access to modern microcontrollers and simulation tools outside scheduled lab hours, while researchers face redundant setup efforts that reduce reproducibility and collaboration potential. To address these challenges, we propose establishing VES-Lab, a Virtual Lab for Embedded Systems, enabling three Dutch universities to jointly design, test, and apply embedded systems in education and research. The core motivation for VES-Lab is to promote structured collaboration, share resources and expertise, and build a foundation for scalable, AI-driven and data-intensive applications. The virtual lab serves as the collaborative layer, facilitating synchronous experimentation and knowledge exchange, regardless of physical location. In the short term, VES-Lab enhances accessibility and flexibility, allowing students and researchers to engage with experiments remotely, collaborate across institutions, and reduce dependency on physical lab space. It supports rapid prototyping, self-paced learning, and broader participation. In the long term, it fosters sustainable education and research by building a shared ecosystem of reusable experiments, encouraging innovation through open collaboration, and enabling scalable integration with emerging technologies such as IoT and AI at the edge.
- Dr. Reza Hassanpour, Computer Science Department, Groningen University
- Prof. Dr. Ir. Bedir Tekinerdogan, Wageningen University & Research
- Dr. Andrea Minuto, Informatica, Applied Science University of Rotterdam