Objectives of the service
Coordination and management of logistics tasks in a global and dynamic context can be highly challenging. Logistics processes can often be extremely time-critical, fragmented, and opaque. Full-tracking coverage in remote areas with limited internet connection or unreliable telecommunications infrastructure (last mile) is still not provided by existing logistics systems, but often required.
Track & Trust is a modular system suitable for many supply chain use cases, with the humanitarian sector as one great example. Humanitarian aid organizations use the data provided by Track & Trust to enhance their management of disaster relief in intractable areas. Logistics companies can integrate the Track & Trust API to receive shipment data from such remote areas and augment their supply chain services.
Track & Trust can be adopted to take advantage of a combination of scalable satellite and IoT mesh-based technologies. The generic mesh nodes, which act as a multiplier for satellite uplinks and additionally for traditional 4/5G networks where available, reduce low line-of-sight constraints, provide seamless global coverage, and ensure high uptime and minimal maintenance of the network nodes.
Users and their needs
Track & Trust is predestined for humanitarian aid organizations and logistics companies supporting them.
Humanitarian aid organisations coordinate and monitor their aid deliveries. Generally, they are obliged to provide information to their funders. With Track & Trust, they create trust by transparency.
Logistics service providers need as much information as possible about their delivery processes for coordination. In this context, data from remote areas is highly valuable. Logisticians obtain this data from the Track & Trust system via API and can integrate it into their services.
Consignees may have an urgent need for the deliveries. With Track & Trust, they can find out the status of their deliveries, even from inaccessible areas.
Based on the experience gained from the previous shipments and partnerships with humanitarian organisations, Datarella understands the requirements for a more comprehensive solution using Track & Trust.
Service/ system concept
Track & Trust offers four beneficial functionalities, which enable last-mile-tracking in remote areas:
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Highly usable user interface: The mobile application is easy to use, and mesh nodes are plug & play.
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Blockchain-based transaction immutability: The system increases user trust with a transparent tamper-resilient system for recording any shipment updates.
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Efficient satellite data uplink: The system lowers operational costs through an efficient use of satellite data transmissions.
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IoT Mesh Network: The Mesh Network requires zero configuration and allows for ad-hoc and offline communications to be deployed by last mile logistics service providers easily alongside their deliveries.
The system is designed to be upgraded in a modular fashion advancing from Proof-of-Concept to Pilot and on to Production. At each point along the journey toward production, stakeholders are interviewed to guide development and ensure usability, so that an intuitive user experience can be offered.
Space Added Value
With the help of space technologies, the underlying blockchain transactions of Track & Trust can be deployed in remote areas with less developed network infrastructure. This is particularly relevant for humanitarian aid logistics. A remote IoT-Mesh-Node transports securely authenticated shipment information to one of the IoT-Mesh-Nodes connected to satellite uplinks. The shipment updates are then uploaded via a satellite terminal along with GNSS metadata. Once data are successfully posted via the assistance of satellite communications, the information is immutably recorded in the blockchain and as a result can be made available to all the relevant stakeholders through the Track & Trust web app.
Current Status
The Demonstrator Project officially started in July 2021 and is led by Datarella as consortium lead. Datarella is supported by two technology companies, Weaver Labs and OroraTech. Most recently, requirement analyses were finalized with potential future stakeholders who include logistics experts and major humanitarian actors. Now, based on these requirements, the system and service architecture of Track & Trust has been successfully discussed, designed and elaborated within the consortium. A piloting agreement has been signed with an innovative humanitarian aid organization initiating aid supplies around the world. At present, the Factory Acceptance Tests milestone review has been successfully accomplished and the consortium is working towards the technical demonstration of the proposed product in the field as well as preparing for the Pilot Phase.
Prime Contractor(s)
