Objectives of the service
Deep tech manufacturers face massive risks from undetected damage and startup failures of high-value assets like Enertech machinery, Robotics and other high-tech equipment. Current manual inspections are often slow and lack tamper-proof evidence, leading to costly disputes and project delays.
The new HedgeLog™ tracker foreseen by ISTRICE provides a certified digital handover by integrating a specialized Internet of Things (IoT) tracker with Edge Artificial Intelligence (Edge AI), Satellite Communications (SatCom), and Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT). The service monitors equipment condition during transit and uses advanced AI-driven diagnostics on-chip to guarantee a successful boot-up at the destination. Every critical event is notarized on a blockchain to create immutable forensic proof of performance.
This project aims to advance the integrated system to commercial readiness at a high Technology Readiness Level. Through a Proof of Concept (PoC) with selected deep tech partners, the activity validates end-to-end tracking, fault detection, and certification under operational stress. By replacing industrial ambiguity with verifiable data, the solution streamlines insurance claims and reduces financial exposure for all stakeholders.
Users and their needs
The HedgeLog™ Tracker targets Deep tech Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs)—specifically leaders like Baker Hughes in the Enertech field and DIME Robotics Lab at University of Genoa—alongside logistics providers, insurers, and power plant operators. The solution also serves field service engineers responsible for the critical equipment boot-up phase.
Key user needs include:
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Risk and Cost Reduction: Eliminating financial losses from undetected transit damage.
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Forensic Proof: Replacing "blame games" with immutable, blockchain-certified data to resolve disputes.
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Streamlined Commissioning: Using automated diagnostics to accelerate equipment startup and reduce onsite troubleshooting.
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Regulatory Compliance: Meeting standards like the EU 1230 2023 Machine Regulation and EU Cyber Resilience ACT.
The project's main challenges are ensuring seamless global connectivity in remote areas without exhausting battery life and adopting Edge AI models once in place to accurately detect faults during boot up across highly diverse and complex machinery.
Targeted users are primarily located in Italy and the European Union, serving global industrial projects and development plans.
Service/ system concept
Capability and Information Delivered
The HedgeLog™ Tracker provides a certified digital handover for high-value industrial assets. It delivers real-time information on equipment location and environmental conditions—such as shocks or temperature—during transit. Upon arrival, it supplies a forensic boot-up report, monitoring "vital signs" like machinery efficiency and performance to guarantee the machine was commissioned correctly.
Key functionalities include:
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Edge AI diagnostics: On-device, chip based, intelligence detects faults during initial power-on by comparing real-time data to engineering blueprints.
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Blockchain certification: Immutable, timestamped proof of every significant event, preventing "blame games" during disputes.
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Dual-mode Satellite Communications: Blending cellular and satellite communication to continuously track global high-tech deliveries even in remote areas.
When deployed, users gain the capability to automatically validate warranty activations, streamline insurance claims through tamper-proof data, and ensure compliance with industrial regulations like EU 1230 2023. This transforms risky supply chain phases into a verifiable process, significantly reducing financial exposure from undetected damage.
How the System Works (Simple Terms)
The HedgeLog™ Tracker acts as a digital bodyguard for multi-million-dollar machines. A smart sensor is attached to the equipment before it leaves the factory. During its journey, the sensor uses satellites to report its location and alert the owner if the machine is dropped or mishandled.
Once the machine reaches its destination, the sensor "plugs in" to the electrical grid and to the machinery control unit during its first start-up. It uses an internal AI brain on chip—trained on the machine's original design first principles models and ARR (Analytical Residual Relations) —to listen for problems. If a fault is found, the system creates a digital certificate that is permanent and cannot be changed by anyone. This gives owners and manufacturers 100% certainty that the machine is working perfectly or forensic proof of exactly what went wrong.
High-Level System Architecture
The system follows a Cloud-Edge-Blockchain services continuum:
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The Edge: The HedgeLog™ Tracker runs efficient AI models locally, allowing it to detect faults instantly without needing a constant internet connection.
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Satellite Communications: A hybrid link uses low-power "trickle" data for location during the journey and switches to LEO based NTN communication for independent diagnostics at the destination.
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The Trust Layer: Every alert is notarized on a Blockchain (IOTA) and detailed evidence is stored decentral (IPFS) to ensure records are tamper-proof and forensically sound.
Space Added Value
The HedgeLog™ Tracker utilizes Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), such as Galileo and GPS, for precise positioning, alongside Satellite Communications (SatCom) via 5G NTN 3GPP REL 17 on Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellations. The service employs a dual-mode strategy: Narrowband IoT for low-power, global tracking during long transits, and Broadband (e.g., Starlink) for high-speed diagnostic data uploads during equipment commissioning.
The primary added value is uninterrupted global visibility. By combining space assets with Edge AI and Blockchain, HedgeLog™ provides a "certified digital handover" that remains functional in remote or maritime areas where terrestrial networks fail. This creates a tamper-proof forensic record of the equipment’s condition and successful boot-up.
In contrast, existing methods rely on manual inspections and paper logs, which are prone to "blame games" and costly disputes when damage is discovered. Traditional terrestrial competitors are limited by cellular coverage, leading to critical data gaps. HedgeLog™ replaces this ambiguity with verifiable certainty, leveraging space assets to ensure that every event is notarized and every diagnostic is certified, regardless of location.
Current Status
The ISTRICE Project has been awarded for co-funding by ESA and the feasibility study is currently in progress.
Actual work involves upgrading the tracker hardware from STM32N6 micro-controller to the new Arduino Qualcomm UNO Edge AI System on Module (SOM) supporting advanced diagnostics and integrating MATLAB/Simulink engineering models into MYWAI’s backend Equipment-as-Service platform.
Activities about to start including the Proof of Concept (PoC) pilots with a selected Robotic partner (DIME Robotics Lab) to validate fault detection through real-world "fault-injection" stress tests and beginning formal device certification with satellite provider SATELIOT™ in Spain.
