EdgeVerse: Multi-User Virtual Reality via Edge Computing and eBPF
Okwudilichukwu Okafor, Flavio Esposito, Tommaso Pecorella · 2024
The adoption of Extended Reality (XR) technology has been hindered by the need for high-bandwidth and low-latency networks to provide immersive experiences. Head-mounted devices used in XR are still heavy and not portable, limiting the potential of XR applications in various contexts. In this paper, we propose EdgeVerse, a multi-user XR system that leverages edge computing and extended Berkeley Packet Filter (eBPF) to offload computation, thereby reducing the dependency on high-bandwidth networks in support of XR applications. Our approach enables lightweight clients, such as devices with an edge browser, making XR more accessible to users. The key design of EdgeVerse focuses on offloading the connection and network synchronization of multiple XR users at the edge. We used an XDP bidirectional router that processes XR traffic faster to enhance user interaction, responsiveness, and immersive experience. To establish the practicality of our approach, we evaluate our results on a prototype that indicates improved response times and reduced latency with respect to baseline solutions.