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Industrial Internet of things (IIoT) is the application of the network of intelligent computers, devices and objects that share huge amounts of data within the manufacturing industry. The days of manually manipulating industrial processes are fading, and quickly being replaced by a complex array of sensors and smart devices that are enabling the fourth industrial revolution through machine-to-machine (M2M) communication and industrial big data analytics. This convergence of information technology (IT) and operations technology (OT) in the IIoT is driving unprecedented levels of efficiency, productivity, and performance. As a result, businesses in power and energy, oil and gas, manufacturing, healthcare, aviation, agriculture, and many other industries are experiencing transformative operational and financial benefits. The implementation of the merging of IT and OT requires skills in both areas, but current programs in colleges and universities typically have the curricula separated. As businesses implement IIoT, the need for workers with combined IT and OT skills has increased. Unfortunately, there is not enough skilled labor to keep pace with the industry’s evolution. This IIoT skills gap is one of the greatest challenges manufacturers face. There is a rapidly-growing need for manufacturing employees with certified skills in both IT and OT to design, secure, implement, and maintain these systems. East Carolina University (ECU) endeavors to meet this need through a collaborative workforce development and STEM education network infrastructure to link the university with regional high schools and community colleges designed to prepare a workforce to fill the IIoT skills gap. Central to this education network infrastructure is a remotely accessible Converged Plant-wide Ethernet/IP (CPwE) hands-on lab environment that provides synchronous access to IIoT laboratory experiences. This paper details an interdisciplinary project involving the design, development, and implementation of a remotely accessible lab environment that integrates enterprise IT with industrial automation and control systems (IACS) into a fully functional CPwE manufacturing infrastructure. The CPwE laboratory environment provides a platform for students and faculty from ECU and regional community colleges and high schools to develop critical IIoT skills through collaborative hands-on lab experiments. The laboratory design is discussed in detail, including how the collaboration of differing, but related, disciplines are integrated to take advantage of synergies and enhance the knowledge base and skill sets of the related disciplines. Course outcomes, project cost, and future work are also shared.

Designing a Converged Plant-wide Ethernet/IP Lab for Hands-on Distance Learning: An Interdisciplinary Graduate Project