Multiplayer games on mobile devices, such as phones, typically depend on
remote servers for communication between devices and game hosting, but a
new augmented reality game developed by researchers at Vrije
Universiteit in the Netherlands requires no such server. The game
employs the Ibis computing middleware system, which was originally
designed for high-performance, distributed computing chores. The
researchers adapted the system to operate on Android phones so that the
handsets can run a lightweight communication server that enables a
direct interface with the game via a 3G or Wi-Fi connection. The game
was created in response to Google's Android Developers Challenge 2 and
designed to use data fusion, combining numerous aspects of the device's
hardware to blend game play with real-world events. The researchers say
the game's networking methodology could be used in situations in which
significant infrastructure is not always available, such as disaster
relief or military operations.
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