[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution.
Private postal carriers have a monopoly on the shipping information of the items they handle. This results in an information asymmetry between the carrier and client when the package suffers damage during transit.
The figures for these damages in the U.S. are staggering:
Damaged products cost manufacturers approximately 1% to 2% of their total gross sales. This equates to an estimated $15 billion annually in lost revenue.
On average, one in ten e-commerce packages arrives damaged. Based on an annual volume of 8.6 billion packages shipped, that’s 860 million damaged parcels and re-shipments.
The cost ripples through the entire industry as insurance companies have to investigate the claims, replacement items have to be shipped, and people have to spend a lot of time pursuing their claims.
Our proposed solution is a dApp that scans a package using the camera of a commercial phone and links it to a UTxO on-chain. The recipient does the same, the two images are compared using an A.I. to establish if it was damaged.
The record on the ledger verifies how a package looked at the moment it was shipped compared to when it arrived. The trail helps with claims and also opens up shipping information to everyone.
Benefits
- Customers can determine if a package has been tampered with while en-route.
- SmartPack makes packing suggestions that will reduce the chance of damages
- SmartPack performs OCR address verification
Across all SmartPack customers the following is measured:
- Damage / tamper rate by transportation method
- On-time delivery rate
- Intra-carrier damage rates (FDX Dallas to Little Rock, versus Dallas to Memphis)
- This data is used to suggest the best carrier based on route and transit time
The main 3 gains are:
- Transportation Carriers can verify shipment integrity en-route with SmartPack.
- Carriers can perform sort by fingerprint when address labels are damaged.
- SmartPack data can be leveraged in claim disputes.
SmartPack customer flow
- The customer creates a package for shipping
- One or more photographs of the shipment are created via a phone app
- SmartPack creates a virtual fingerprint based on the photographs
- SmartPack makes suggestions on better packaging and verifies addresses via OCR
- Shipment is given to the carrier
- Optionally carriers take advantage of SmartPack verification while in transit
- Once delivered, the receiving customer takes photos of the package via the app
- SmartPack certifies shipment integrity or identifies the likelihood of damage / tampering
- Shipment fingerprints and significant shipment events are written to the blockchain throughout the SmartPack process and used for audit/claim purposes as needed
[IMPACT] Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community.
It will bring a new type of utility to the distributed ledger. The postal claims are a significant drag to the shipping industry and a problem that remains without a solution.
The dApp would also increase the demand and use of ADA. The trail between the packages would be created by a datum attached to a regular ADA transaction. The system would need ADA to operate.
Finally, the dApp will not increase state bloat. As there is no need to create native tokens to make it function.
[CAPABILITY & FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?
First, we have the technical capacity to deliver a prototype entirely in-house. Our team has Cardano developers, mobile developers, imaging and lidar experts, and supply chain managers. All the tech requirements for the first iteration we can create ourselves.
The initial step involves an image scan that creates a model of a package and then attaches the image reference to a Cardano UTxO and stores it on Arweave.
The test transaction on the preproduction network will be public. Anyone in the community will be able to see them working and verify the prototype works.
All the on-chain data will be enough to prove the prototype is working and that the dApp is working as intended. We'll share demos of the process by uploading videos on YouTube of how the technology is working.
[Project Milestones] What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?
Develop a basic phone application for photograph capture (Android)
Transmit photos to a back-end server with a local database (AWS, SQL DB)
Capture relevant shipment metadata - carrier, date/time, etc
Explore SmartPack GUI and user process flow by creating mockups of the completed platform and test it with users.
Test different types of cameras, photograph methods, lidar integrations, and box tampering with censors. The tests help determine a prototype for a scanning device to use by small shipping companies.
>Once enough shipment data has been collected, apply AI models to fingerprint the packages and look for damage.
Real shipments must be used to measure general packaging wear during transport. The team member will send boxes to each other first inside the USA and then to the international members. The data will be used to train the model.
>Connect the phone app to the Cardano ledger and store proof references of the images using datums in ADA transactions. A node will track the UTxOs of the created transactions and the specific boxes.
The image themselves will be stored on Arweave while the hash of it is referenced in a datum.
>The objective of the pilot is to test the complete process end-to-end before it goes into a commercial application. We would scan a package, create the reference on-chain, scan it back once delivered, compare both images with the analysis model, and determine if it was damaged.
The pilot will be among the members of the team. We would send packages to each other, the idea is to demonstrate the technology, not to advance into a commercial application.
[RESOURCES] Who is in the project team and what are their roles?
Eric den Boer is a visionary Blockchain, Web3, AI, and Metaverse Entrepreneur. His career began in IT revolution of the early 1990s in Sweden, leading to contributions within the digital broadcasting technology.
His leadership prowess is demonstrated through his past roles as CEO of Natural State Extracts, driving advancements in supercritical fluid extraction technology and CEO of Pandotec, a Blockchain software company.
With a solid background spanning over 20 years as a Scientific Research Technologist at College of Engineering Research Centers, Eric offers a wealth of knowledge and a strategic edge in technology.
As we step into the age of the Metaverse, Eric is inspired by the belief that blockchain has the key to a truthful internet. Member of the Cardano CoffeDAO.
Stephen Witty is a technology professional with experience in the field of system engineering and IT projects. Holding a Bachelor of Science in Computer Systems Engineering from the University of Arkansas, and an Associate of Applied Science in Automation & Systems Engineering, graduating with honors. He also holds certificates of Proficiency in Electronics Technology and Fanuc Robotics Handling Tool Operation and Programming.
Stephen’s experience is marked by a distinguished 26-year career at FedEx, in various roles, from development and IT system administration to Manager of Technology. At FedEx he was dedicated to leading an R&D team at FedEx Freight, focusing on innovative projects such as RFID shipment tracking, fleet telematics, and shipment dimensioning technology. Under his leadership, his team pushed the boundaries of real-time logistics technology and received a FedEx Five Star award for his RFID efforts.
Stephen’s philosophy, influenced by FedEx founder Fred Smith’s perspective on the value of information, aligns with his commitment to innovation and the belief that understanding and improving the flow of information can significantly transform the logistics and supply-chain industry.
Ričardas Darkšas As a dedicated programmer, my journey began immediately after graduation, diving into software development. My early work involved creating specialized certification software for a recruitment firm and developing order generation software for manufacturers, thereby enhancing supplier interactions.
My experience expanded to include working on an HR management system and a 3D gaming cafeteria management system. Additionally, I contributed to industrial projects, focusing on manufacturing process control, packaging, and labeling.
For an intense 2.5 years, I remotely engaged with a marketing company in the USA, enhancing my web development skills by working on various marketing campaigns. This role included traveling to Las Vegas twice to assist with the technical operations at live events. Following this experience, I made significant contributions to a document management system and various projects utilizing Java.
My most recent venture includes completing courses in blockchain technology, leading to my membership in a decentralized organization. Here, I work as a blockchain developer, focusing mainly on the Cardano network. Member of the Cardano CoffeDAO.
Samuel Claassens has over 15 years experience in software engineering, consulting, and taking novel systems to market. He has a diverse background, from founding small robotics startups to building enterprise ML systems at Fortune 500 companies such as General Electric. Sam is passionate about helping innovative startups that focus on software, robotics, AI/ML, and automation products or services. He has an MBA from the University of Chicago, and a Masters in Engineering from University of Johannesburg.
Sebastian Pereira is a graduate of Economics and Public Administration working first in the public sector. In 2019, he switched to the blockchain industry full time and has worked for many projects. He is also a blockchain instructor at EMURGO Academy, member of NFT-DAO. and CoffeeDAO. In the latter, he help to successfully tokenize a crop of Honduran coffee and sell it over the Cardano network. Member of the Cardano CoffeDAO.
[BUDGET & COSTS] Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources.
Testing Parts Budget
Item / Part Individual Cost / Number / Total Cost / Notes
Rasberry Pi kits | 382 | 4 | 1528 | Pi 4 8GB kit - Power Supply etc
Various MCUs | 200 | 10 | 2000 | Based on Audrino MKR1400
Pi Motor Hat | 63 | 2 | 126 | Stepper Motor HAT for Raspberry Pi
Proximity Sensor | 21 | 5 | 105 | Trigger sensor for testing
Light Sensor | 17 | 5 | 85 | Package open detection
Desktop PC | 2150 | 1 | 2150 | General data collection device
MCU / Pi camera | 52 | 5 | 260 | Onboard ISP sensor for advanced camera controls.
NanoTags | 60 | 50 | 3000 | temperature tag
RAK2270 | 33 | 50 | 1650 | tracking tags
MCU Accelerometer | 21 | 10 | 2100 | Test drop detection
Mounts / Racks HW | 2388 | 1 | 2388 | Misc rack mounting gear
Variable Power Supply |131 | 2 | 262 | power source
Stepper Motor | 33 | 10 | 330 | Rotate shipments in a test environment
Battery Packs | 48 | 10 | 480 | Support mobile MCU tests
Shipping Supplies | 444 | 1 | 444 | Boxes and Packaging for testing
Apple Air tags | 70 | 10 | 700 | Support general package tracking
OAK-D S2 lidar camera | 598 | 4 | 2392 | Lidar scanner for the box
Total ADA 20,000
AI and blockchain costs related needs:
Use of training models 10,000 ADA
Image processing on servers 15,000 ADA
Mobile application development 10,000 ADA
Cardano node server costs for 2 months 15,000
Image database storage 10,000 ADA
Arweave integration !0,000 ADA
Total 70,000 ADA
[VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?
The dApp will showcase a new type of utility for the Cardano blockchain and the UTxO model. The system would also bolster the demand for ADA as users would require it to create the record on-chain.
It would also create another driver for adoption. Shipping companies, insurance companies, regular users, online retailers, etc. would greatly benefit from using the platform.
It would reduce the costs of making claims due to damages during transport, optimize the delivery of replacements, and reduce processing costs for all parties.
This would bring more users to Cardano and showcase the utility of distributed ledgers in an industry few are trying to integrate with blockchain.
