Blockchain Technology and Geospatial Industry

Shattri Mansor, PhD, MBA

Rizal Mohd Nor, PhD

Geospatial Information Science Research Centre, UPM

Dept of Computer Science, International Islamic University Malaysia

Blockchain in different industries

Supply Chain: Fraud Prevention, leakage detection

Education: E-learning and Certifications

Big Data : Auditing and Analytics

Internet of Things: Registration, tracking usage data,

payments

Music – Royalty, Ownership & Distribution

Energy

Healthcare: Patient records management, security, reduced

errors

Other blockchain implementations

Match Buyer with SellerContract Receives Assets

Contract Distributes Assets

Exchange

Seller Buyer

Asset Asset

Clearing and

Settlement is

Automated

Ownership is

undisputed

Smart contract

Digitize currency

So what is Blockchain?

➢Blockchains use complex mathematical functions to create a secure and definitive record of who owns what and when.

➢Why is revolutionary.✓Decentralizing Trust.✓From Banking, Insurance, Healthcare, Internet of

Things, Social Interactions, Governments, Supply Chains✓Connecting every network of services (remember the

internet)

How Blockchain Works

➢The technology can work for almost every type of transaction involving value, including money, goods and property. ➢Its potential uses are almost limitless: from

collecting taxes to enabling migrants to send money back to family in countries where banking is difficult.➢Blockchain could also help to reduce fraud because

every transaction would be recorded and distributed on a public ledger for anyone to see.

Refer to: https://anders.com/blockchain/hash.html

Refer to: https://anders.com/blockchain/hash.html

Source: https://blockgeeks.com/guides/what-is-blockchain-technology/

The first Use Case for Blockchain is in Digital currencies

Evolution of Cryptocurrency

About 917 CryptoCoins And About 670 Tokens

Source: https://masterthecrypto.com/differences-between-cryptocurrency-coins-and-tokens/

Where do we keep Cryptocurrencies

Introducing Proof of Location?

Designed to provide spatial protocols, standards and applications that bring geospatial data to blockchains and allows the creation of aconsensus-driven map to be constructed with the use of users GPS data, mobile tower information and IoT devices.

Crypto-economic incentives provide means of developing decentralized infrastructure that is secure and encourages further network participation

mobile tower information

IoT devices

IoT devices

users GPS data

Where can it be applied? (1)

Where can it be applied? (2)

MapBlock: Startup for Geospatial Industry

• Geospatial data, maps and imageries – visualize?

Analyse?

• How to make it available to everyone in a decentralised

and permissioned (if needed) manner using blockchain.

• Blockchain as a proof of record for the existence of the

data.

• Blockchain provide a distributed mechanism to lock in

data, making data verifiable and independently auditable.

MapBlock: Startup for Geospatial Industry

• Client defined chains of entries, client-side validation ofentries, a distributed consensus algorithm for recordingentries, and a blockchain anchoring approach for security.

• Usefulness ranging from ready access to maps in disastersmanagement to providing an undeniable proof of record ofmaps of data that is changing over time like forest coverage.

• Provide support for doing transactions of data sharing likeuav mapping and GPS positioning between private parties.

• Data generators could deposit data into a crypto spatialcoordinate, back it with space tokens, and set pricingmechanisms for its use.

MapBlock: Startup for Geospatial Industry

• Data could include satellite and uav imageries, maps,

land parcel data, 3D visualisation data, BIM and much

more.

• Thus one could see a paradigm change in the way

geospatial data from satellites, UAVs and even in situ

measurements from sensor networks could be easily

monetised and distributed.

• Data security could be built in through the space

tokens.

MapBlock: Major Components

➢The map tiles

➢The mapping software

➢The data

➢Data Access

The map tiles

• 2 types : raster maps and vector maps.

• Raster maps are essentially images of the terrain that

are taken at various zoom levels.

• Projects like OSM, Mapbox, etc have these maps

available tiles available on the internet using a REST

or similar scheme.

• For the purpose of proving the concept we would be

leveraging these public map data, however the intent is

to store this data on the blockchain so sensitive areas

can also be made accessible in a safe manner.

The mapping software

• The function of the mapping software is to handle the manipulationof the map.

• The software provides ways to add points, polygons, layers, etc onthe map. It overlays the data on the map and gives extension pointsto format the data appropriately.

• There are two popular mapping software that we can look at -Leaflet.js (http://leafletjs.com/) and Google Maps API(https://developers.google.com/maps/).

• Leaflet is quite flexible when it comes to the underlying tiles and thedata.

• The Google Maps API has the advantage of bringing it's own map tiledata directly.

The data

A map without data is not very interesting. And the data overlaid on the map is the key to MapBlock.

➢ infrastructure▪ roads, railways, sewers, cables

➢ property borders

➢ topography ▪ coast, elevation, lakes, rivers + landuse/veg

➢ administrative borders

➢ urban planning

➢ satellite / aerial imagery

➢ demography▪ data and statistics

➢mobile devices▪ various apps

Data Access

• The MapBlock aims to provide decentralised and on demandaccess to GIS based data in a manner that allows progressiveenhancement of the information that is relevant to the user.

• The data access would be based on a list of tokens (claims)that the user's client can submit in order to get the requiredaccess. We will build this system as a semi-private blockchainwith nodes in the various departments and organisations thatwant to participate.

• The data is stored encrypted in all the nodes in the form ofversions with the map displaying the latest version by default.

Design - In the PoC

❑The blockchain would contain multiple sources ofinformation ranging from maps and GIS informationto text, links and images that can be pulled in.

❑The client would first communicate with a smartcontract to get the claim tokens that would be usedto obtain the information that they would need.

❑The information would be retrieved automaticallybased on their location and context.

Usage Scenarios for MapBlock

➢ Publishing Public GIS Data on the MapBlock

➢ Exchanging Private GIS Data between private entities on the MapBlock

➢ Exchanging Private Data between a department and its members

Publishing Public GIS Data on the MapBlock

• By publishing this data on the MapBlock any organisation cantake advantage of the properties of the block chain to ensurethat an authoritative version of the dataset is available in adecentralised, immutable repository.

• This would improve the confidence of the public on thetransparency and integrity of the data.

• It would also make it possible for anyone with any type of clientto get at the data from different nodes reducing the load onpublic websites.

Exchanging Private GIS Data between

private entities on the MapBlock

• There are often situations where two or more private entities agreeto share their geospatial data for mutual benefit.

• In this scenario the data would be encrypted and signed by thetransacting parties and placed on the MapBlock.

• The entity would use their MapBlock client (and private key) todecrypt and display the data.

• The MapBlock would provide proof of the transaction and even beable to verify the data exchanged in case of a dispute.

Exchanging Private Data between a

department and its members

• There are scenarios where entities like the police force or fireforce may want to call up a map of an area with certain extrastatistics or information that is not publicly available.

• In this scenario a series of contracts between a department (likethe police force) and its members would be created in which theGIS Data would be encrypted and exchanged.

• The department would be able to selectively revoke a contractand remove the data access when needed.

Creating incentive systems for adding

and verifying data on the MapBlock

• The MapBlock supports the creation of smart contracts that would allow forsetting up a reward system and the supporting verification mechanisms in adecentralized manner.

• The contract could be setup as a bounty by potential consumers of the data withprovision for verification / ratification using either independent parties or byother methods (like a "calling card" that can be verified).

• The entire transaction would be completely decentralized and depending on theuse case can be automated to varying degrees of accuracy.

MapBlock (Revisited)Data Collection Sources

MapBlock (Revisited)Blockchain Interaction between Stakeholders

Geospatial Data Business Models Use-CaseAs a Supplier of Geospatial/GIS Data

STEP 1: GIS Data Exchange acquires MapBlock

Tokens and stakes it to devices in a marketplace.

This effectively pays the customers Tokens in

proportion to the value they will provide.

STEP 2: Customers are able to access and ‘opt in’

to the services offered via a mobile app

STEP 3: GIS Data Exchange gets the data

STEP 4: GIS Data Exchange either signals the

service event via the app

for behavioural responses, or self-executing

contracts transact on behalf of the devices to

trigger IoT control events.

STEP 5: Customer is paid in MapBlock Tokens

currency per the service offered

STEP 6: GIS Data Exchange gets the value of the

service, e.g. capacity, balancing, frequency

response.

GIS

DA

ta E

xch

ange

Mar

ket

Pla

ce

GIS Data

MAPBlock Tokens

Commercial/Industry Customers

Flexible Customers

GIS Data

MAPBlock Tokens

GIS Data

MAPBlock Tokens

Geospatial Data Business Models Use-CaseAs a Consumer of Geospatial/GIS Data

STEP 1: Customers providing Data exchange like

Consumer A or Industry firms provides to the GIS

Data Exchange. It acquires MapBlock Tokens and

stakes it to devices in a marketplace. This

effectively pays the customers Tokens in

proportion to the value they will provide.

STEP 2: Customers B, acquires Mapblock Tokens

by purchasing some Tokens via the Marketplace

Exchance via the mobile app.

STEP 3: Pre-packaged GIS Map Data is provider

to Consumer B via Mapblock Token purchases

STEP 4: Consumer A and Industry Partners gets

Fiat money via exchange of Tokens

GIS

DA

ta E

xch

ange

Mar

ket

Pla

ce

MapBlock Tokens

Fiat

Consumer A

Industry PartnerProviding GISData to Exchange

Consumer BPackaged Map Data

GIS Data

MAPBlock Tokens

GIS Data

MAPBlock Tokens

Fiat

Fiat

Advantages maintaining geospatial data on a blockchain

➢ ready access to maps in crisis situations to providing an undeniableproof of record of maps of data that is changing over time likeforest coverage.

➢ to provide support for doing transactions of data sharing like uavmapping and GPS positioning between private parties.

➢ data generators who could deposit data into a crypto spatialcoordinate, back it with space tokens, and set pricing mechanismsfor its use.

➢Data could include satellite and uav imageries, maps, land parceldata, 3D visualisation data, BIM and much more. Thus one couldsee a paradigm change in the way geospatial data from satellites,UAVs and even in situ measurements from sensor networks couldbe easily monetised and distributed.

➢Data security could be built in through the space tokens.

Blockchain - Highlights

• Usually contains financial transactions

• Usually exists over a peer-to-pear network.

• Uses cryptography and digital signatures to prove identity, authenticity and enforce read/write access rights.

• Can be written by certain participants.

• Can be read by certain participants. A wider audience.

• Has mechanisms to make it hard to change historical records or at least make it easy to detect when someone is trying to do so.