Edutain@grid

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1 edutain@grid

[edit] edutain@grid

[edit] Overview

edutain@grid is a project funded by the European Commission under the 6th Framework Programme. The project aims to open the benefits of Grid technology to the wider public, in areas such as gaming and e-learning.

Grid technology enables high performance computing that until now has typically only been available to academia and large industry. edutain@grid is developing middleware that will give other application developers access to this powerful technology without the need for Grid infrastructure management. The project will develop two pilot applications to demonstrate the effectiveness of the middleware: a massively multi-player interactive game, and a multi-student e-learning application.

edutain@grid is co-ordinated by the University of Innsbruck and involves seven partners from five European countries. The duration of the project is 36 months and it started on 1 September 2006.

[edit] Challenges

Applications such as online multi-player games and e-learning courses can be hosted on conventional (non-Grid) platforms. In this instance, they are typically hosted on a small number of servers and can support a limited number of participants. Grid technology provides an opportunity to support increased numbers of interacting participants and more powerful applications, or “Real-Time Online Interactive Applications (ROIAs)”.

ROIAs, as defined within edutain@grid, have a number of distinctive features:

They support a large number of concurrent users.
Users may connect to applications in an ad-hoc manner. Grid resource scalability and flexibility will be important.
Users will interact but may have different goals and may compete, as well as co-operate, with each other.
Users may be anonymous.
Users will require a high level of responsiveness and connection continuity from applications.
New Grid business models need to be considered.
Consideration will need to be given to competing Virtual Organisations.
With access open to anyone, security will be important.

Grid technology has developed to provide a powerful computing platform for the needs of academia and large industry. However, it does not currently provide a high level of support for the scalability, responsiveness and multi-user interaction requirements of ROIAs. edutain@grid seeks to overcome these barriers and to develop a cost-effective middleware solution for third party ROIA developers. The middleware will separate commercial and development platforms from Grid management considerations, giving greater accessibility to Grid technology for developers.

[edit] Pilot Applications

[edit] Gaming:

Online, multi-player interactive games currently allow only two types of games: fast action games with a few players (perhaps a maximum of 64) such as first person shooters (FPS), or slower adventure games with several thousand players such as massively multi-player online role-playing games (MMORPGs). edutain@grid aims to allow the development of a massively multi-player first person shooter (MMOFPS) game. The gaming pilot application is based on an existing fast action game developed by project partner Darkworks.

[edit] E-learning:

Existing e-learning applications are typically constrained by a limited bandwidth server environment. This has implications for levels of student interactivity and media richness. This is particularly constraining in e-learning for crisis management, where high levels of communication and interaction are required. edutain@grid aims to enable development of multi-student e-learning applications with high levels of interaction, allowing students to take on crisis management roles in a more realistic manner. The e-learning application is based on training applications developed by project partner BMT Cordah, in the field of maritime Search and Rescue.