Yosuke Bando, Konosuke Watanabe, Daniel Dubois, Eyal Toledano, Robert Hemsley and Henry Holtzman
Information Ecology Group, MIT Media Lab
Android App
A MobileP2P photo sharing app is available for download.
Please see this page for more details.
This is a research prototype, is not fully tested, and addresses only limited aspects of the envisioned goal described below.
Overview
MobileP2P aims to magically populate mobile devices with popular video clips and app updates without using people's data plans, by opportunistically connecting nearby devices together when they are in range of each other.
We take advantage of spontaneous huge data flows created by people carrying devices with GBs of flash storage, and make them form a network via P2P communication.
This infrastructure-free, "crowd-sourced" communication channel may also be useful for real-world proximity-based social networking, advertisement, and gaming.
Motivation
The demand-supply gap in mobile data traffic is expected to be getting only larger.
On the other hand, people walking down the street, riding on a train, or driving a car with GBs of flash memory in their pockets can also be regarded as large flows of data that are free from infrastructure.
We aim to create a new layer of network by opportunistically connecting mobile (storage) devices in order to bypass growing mobile data traffic, as well as to build an ecosystem among mobiles, stores, and services.
User Benefits
- Get while you move / are unaware:
You don't need to be in one place to get large data.
Data will be gradually accumulated into your mobile device from other passers-by.
- Share with your (potential) friends:
Data sharing that reflects real-world social networks.
- Store via your friends:
Your data are backed up in your friends' mobile devices.
Your friends may also upload those data to the cloud.
In addition, MobileP2P network can be a new channel of advertisement and gaming.
Challenges
This project relates to mobile ad hoc mesh networking, but the major interest and challenge here are how to transfer large files (e.g., GBs of video clips) efficiently by opportunistically connecting nearby devices together when they are in range of each other.
- Connection with unknown peers:
We cannot let users take actions for authentication each time
- Efficient data transfer:
Algorithms for determining what / how / to whom to send
- Spectrum allocation:
How to use radio efficiently in a crowded area
- Security, privacy, and copyright protection:
While allowing one's own storage to be used by others