A Collaborative Augmented Reality Networked Platform for Edutainment

This chapter presents a mobile software prototype for the educational purpose by using the Augmented Reality (AR) and data communication technology. We developed a prototype of mobile game called “AR-Sumo” that aims to offer a shared virtual space for multiple mobile users to interact simultaneously. “AR-Sumo” invloves visualization of augmented physical phenomena on a fiducial marker and enables learners to view the physical effects of varying gravities and frictions in a 3D virtualspace. The software implementation is packaged as network service where it is broadcasted from an access point connecting to a designated server. With the established network connection, mobile phones users can receive services semi-ubiquitously within the range of the broadcast. This architecture resolves the issue of heterogeneity of computational capacity among different types of mobile phones. As an on-going project, future studies will focus on the usability and designs with an attempt to enhance the efficacy of the application.