RADE: Resource-aware distributed browser-to-browser 3D graphics delivery in the web

With the introduction of novel standardized web technologies such as WebGL, 3D virtual environments (VEs) are making their way into the web. Concurrently, resource rich mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, have become the primary access medium for the web. This paper introduces a method called RADE that enables resource-aware P2P-assisted 3D asset delivery in a web browser using WebRTC. Use of P2P technology in 3D asset delivery can (1) decrease the load on 3D asset servers; (2) decrease the application response times; and (3) reduce the operational costs of VE service providers. The performance and resource fairness of RADE was evaluated in real-life wireless networks using a prototype implementation. Based on the results, RADE can significantly reduce the server load and the 3D asset delivery times especially when 3D asset servers are under heavy load. For instance, with a scarce server bandwidth of 2Mbps, use of RADE resulted in 55% shorter 3D asset delivery times on average. Although RADE has been developed for 3D asset delivery, it is applicable for many types of web applications, including video delivery.