A mobile game has been launched that puts teams into a virtual treasure hunt to help develop and evaluate 5G-related networking technology.
The game is part of Bristol is Open, a smart city programme run by the University of Bristol in collaboration with Bristol City Council. The initiative will test new IP networking approaches intended to improve end-user experiences by reducing latency for use cases like the virtual treasure hunt.
Players form teams of three to six and navigate around the city using an in-game map and a series of clues to complete the challenge. Each week the top-performing team will receive a reward for their contribution to testing the network technology that supports ongoing 5G development.
A spokesperson for Bristol is Open said: “People should get involved if they are interested in experimenting with new technology, gaining insight into how future services could improve, and—quite possibly—learning something new about Bristol!”
Bristol is Open has been examined previously as one of Europe’s leading smart city projects, and its infrastructure continues to attract attention for enabling advanced research and development.
Paul Wilson, Managing Director of Bristol is Open, highlighted local expertise: “We have some real high-profile companies here: Oracle, Intel, HP, Toshiba—their R&D teams are active locally. Infineon, which makes automotive chips and engine management systems, is here. Nvidia acquired Icera, a company working on baseband processing—if you own a cellphone, they are among the few with full capability to create software-configurable modems for 3G, 4G and 5G.”
The Bristol is Open infrastructure includes 100 Gb/s connections to the University of Bristol’s supercomputer and has opened new possibilities across the city. Facilities such as the planetarium at the At-Bristol science centre have been fitted with 4K projectors and can be used for 3D data visualisation as part of the high-speed network—for applications ranging from traffic management to space exploration.
Each research and development partner connected to Bristol is Open receives at least 30 Gbps connectivity, with higher speeds provided where required. This level of connectivity is world-leading; many other deployments provide only up to 1 Gbps.
Dejan Bojic, Director of Strategy & Solutions at NEC Corporation in EMEA, commented: “This is a truly groundbreaking smart city project. It will use the latest NEC SDN-enabled network technologies, integrated with Bristol is Open’s SDN platform developed by the University of Bristol, to create an open, dynamic, virtualised network. That network will serve different traffic types according to their Quality of Service priorities and real-time demand across multi-carrier Wi‑Fi, LTE, millimetre-wave and optical channels.”
The newly released virtual treasure hunt takes advantage of the Bristol is Open infrastructure to evaluate both the game design and the underlying technology.
What to expect if you participate:
- The trial is intended to evaluate the game design and the networking technologies that support it.
- Participation should take no more than around 40 minutes.
- Because the scavenger hunt takes place in central Bristol and is timed, expect a moderate amount of outdoor activity and walking.
- Each player will need an Android phone or tablet and must be willing to download the trial app from the Play Store; the app can be removed after the trial ends.
- Participants will be asked to complete brief questionnaires during the trial; completing these is required to enter the prize draw.
- To start the game, connect to the BIO network. Download the app and launch it while in Bristol. An offline map will guide you to a BIO network access point; once you arrive you will connect automatically and can follow the on-screen instructions to begin.
The game is available on the Play Store for Android devices.
Do you think games are a good method for testing and developing 5G technology? Share your thoughts in the comments.