► FinN is a software platform for implementing multiplayer games and interactive installations. ► We use ad hoc sensor network nodes as the enabling devices. ► We discuss network scaling, real-time ...performance and cross-layer software issues. ► Games and installations with 50 concurrent players in the same space are possible. ► A user evaluation study from a sample of 136 people shows warm reception.
In this work we discuss
Fun in Numbers, a software platform for implementing multiplayer games and interactive installations, that are based on the use of ad hoc mobile sensing devices. We utilize a detailed log of a three-day long public showcase as a basis to discuss the implementation issues related to a set of games and installations, which are examples of this unique category of applications, utilizing a blend of technologies. We discuss their fundamental concepts and features, also arguing that they have many aspects and potential uses. The architecture of the platform and implementation details are highlighted in this work, along with detailed descriptions of the protocols used. Our experiments shed light on a number of key issues, such as network scaling and real-time performance, and we provide experiments regarding cross-layer software issues. We additionally provide data showing that such games and installations can be efficiently supported by our platform, with as many as 50 concurrent players in the same physical space. These results are backed up by a user evaluation study from a large sample of 136 visitors, which shows that such applications can be seriously fun.
Network Constructors are an extension of the standard population protocol model in which finite-state agents interact in pairs under the control of an adversary scheduler. In this work we present ...NETCS, a simulator designed to evaluate the performance of various network constructors and population protocols under different schedulers and network configurations. Our simulator provides researchers with an intuitive user interface and a quick experimentation environment to evaluate their work. It also harnesses the power of the cloud, as experiments are executed remotely and scheduled through the web interface provided. To prove the validity and quality of our simulator we provide an extensive evaluation of multiple protocols with more than 100000 experiments for different network sizes and configurations that validate the correctness of the theoretical analysis of existing protocols and estimate the real values of the hidden asymptotic coefficients. We also show experimentally (with more than 40000 experiments) that a probabilistic algorithm is capable of counting the actual size of the network in bounded time given a unique leader.
A collection of pervasive street games is presented in this paper, that constitute a new social form of play taking place in public spaces, such as city parks, public spaces and streets. The main ...characteristic of these games is the ability to scale to a large number of players (in some cases involving more than 40 players) and can engage players located simultaneously in dispersed areas. Players interact with each other using a wide range of hardware devices that are either generic (such as smart phones) or specific (such as wireless sensor devices). We discuss a set of fundamental issues related to game design emphasizing on the one hand the interaction of the players with the ubiquitous computing environment and on the other hand the embedding of the game rules within the environment. The games are developed using open source technologies and evaluated in a series of events such as the Athens Plaython 2012 festival. The feedback received from the players indicates that this new form of gaming is indeed very promising.
We present here Fun in Numbers (FinN, http://finn.cti.gr), a framework for developing pervasive applications and interactive installations for entertainment and educational purposes. Using ad hoc ...mobile wireless sensor network nodes as the enabling devices, FinN allows for the quick prototyping of applications that utilize input from multiple physical sources (sensors and other means of interfacing), by offering a set of programming templates and services, such as topology discovery, localization and synchronization, that hide the underlying complexity. We present the target application domains of FinN, along with a set of multiplayer games and interactive installations. We describe the overall architecture of our platform and discuss some key implementation issues of the application domains. Finally, we present the experience gained by deploying the applications developed with our platform.
Brief announcement Chatzigiannakis, Ioannis; Mylonas, Georgios; Akribopoulos, Orestis ...
Proceedings of the twenty-second annual ACM symposium on Parallelism in algorithms and architectures,
06/2010
Conference Proceeding
We examine multi-player pervasive games that rely on the use of ad-hoc mobile sensor networks. The unique feature in such games is that players interact with each other and their surrounding ...environment by using movement and presence as a means of performing game-related actions, utilizing sensor devices. We briefly discuss the fundamental issues and challenges related to these type of games and the scenarios associated with them. We have also developed a framework, called Fun in Numbers (FinN) that handles a number of these issues, such as such as neighbors discovery, localization, synchronization and delay-tolerant communication. FinN is developed using Java and is based on a multilayer architecture, which provides developers with a set of templates and services for building and operating new games
The ROTA project is aimed at offering high-speed network connections to ships traveling at archipelagos, i.e. seas with dense clusters of islands, such as the Aegean sea. The ROTA system is based on ...the use of directional antennas on-board the ships and stationary antennas on the islands. The stationary antennas on the islands are connected to high-speed commercial computer networks, which are available on practically all inhabited islands at the Aegean sea, thus implementing a Virtual Private Network (VPN). This approach is much more cost-effective when compared to current approaches that rely on the usage of satellite communications. This paper presents the concept behind ROTA platform.
In this work, we discuss multiplayer pervasive games that rely on the use of ad hoc mobile sensor networks. The unique feature in such games is that players interact with each other and their ...surrounding environment by using movement and presence as a means of performing game-related actions, utilizing sensor devices. We discuss the fundamental issues and challenges related to these type of games and the scenarios associated with them. We also present and evaluate an example of such a game, called the "Hot Potato", developed using the Sun SPOT hardware platform. We provide a set of experimental results, so as to both evaluate our implementation and also to identify issues that arise in pervasive games which utilize sensor network nodes, which show that there is great potential in this type of games.
In this work, we showcase a set of implemented multiplayer games and interactive installations based on Fun in Numbers (FinN). FinN allows the quick prototyping of applications that utilize input ...from multiple physical sources (sensors and other means of interfacing), by offering a set of programming templates and services, such as proximity, localization and synchronization, that hide the underlying complexity.
In this work we present two mobile, locative and collaborative distributed games that are played using wireless sensor devices. We briefly present the architecture of the two games and demonstrate ...their capabilities. The key characteristic of these games is that players interact with each other and their surrounding environment by moving, running and gesturing as a means to perform game related actions, using sensor devices. We demonstrate our system's implementation, which uses a combination of JAVA Standard and Mobile editions.
In this paper we present a platform for developing mobile, locative and collaborative distributed games comprised of small programmable object technologies (e.g., wireless sensor networks) and ...traditional networked processors. The platform is implemented using a combination of JAVA Standard and Mobile editions, targeting also mobile phones that have some kind of sensors installed. We briefly present the architecture of our platform and demonstrate its capabilities by reporting two pervasive multiplayer games. The key characteristic of these games is that players interact with each other and their surrounding environment by moving, running and gesturing as a means to perform game related actions, using small programmable object technologies.
