2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Cloud computing (CC) is the delivery of computing resources—such as databases, software, and analytics—over the Internet. CC is the backbone of any Industry 4.0 system. It links materials, machines, and people; allows real-time visualization of a problem; and enables engineers to do real-time process improvements and maintenance. This work describes lesson materials, lab exercises, and a low-cost cloud computing platform developed to help Manufacturing Automation & Robotics students learn about cloud computing. The lab exercises involve creating a face recognition application on the cloud computing platform. Learning objectives include: 1) how to set up a cloud server; 2) how to utilize a machine learning application in the cloud; 3) how to set up a communication protocol and hardware devices; 4) how to interface a microcontroller, webcam, and other I/O devices needed for the application; and 5) how to write applications on the client and server sides. Survey results suggest students found the topic to be relevant and the lab exercises to be engaging. They requested additional exercises on advanced Industry 4.0 topics such as deep learning, machine vision, digital twins, and cyber-physical systems.