Softlab: A Virtual Laboratory Framework for Computational Science

The process of prototyping is part of every scientific inquiry, product deslgn,and learning activity. The new economic realities require the rapid prototyping of manufactured artifacts and rapid solutions to problems wilh numerous Interrelated elements. As part of the Softlab project, we are investigatrng the Issues Involved In the design and implementation of a virtual laboratory that simulates and controls the functionality of a weUdry prototyping laboratory. The central characterlslics of the 21 st century prototyping laboratory environments will include: i) integrated view of the design, simulation, manufacturing, and training phases of the underlying prototyping process, ii) virtual environments capable of controlling both the experimental (physical) and computational prototypes together with theIr interactions, iii) knowledge based systems for handling the Increasing amount of knowledge and data a researcher must synthesize, compare, trade-off, and optimIze, Iv) 3-D numerical simulation systems that support the different possible models of the underlying physical process, v) virtual computational environments that exploit HPC and multimedia technologies towards the goal of eliminating or minimizing the need for physical prototypes and construction aids. Creating a prototyplng laboratory with such design goals presents a challenge In Itself as well as a number of research opportunities. In this paper we present a software framework for a virtual laboratory and report on our experiences In designing and implementing two software prolotyplng laboratories, microelectronics material (MicroSoftlab) and bioseparation (BloSoftlab) chemical engineering laboratories.