The German conglomerate Bosch, a major player in the production of sensors, has several Web3 initiatives in the pipeline. The latest is a small device that can generate data on real-world conditions, such as weather, light and noise pollution, and seismic activity.
It is connected to Web3 rails and is part of a growing crypto segment known as Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN).
The new device, known as Bosch XDK110 Rapid Prototyping Kit, is a smart sensor that allows users to earn crypto rewards by providing data, without going through a centralized intermediary.
Each device is equipped with a unique digital identity that allows it to communicate with the peaq network, a Polkadot parachain.
A third partner, Fetch.ai, provides autonomous AI agents that can optimize the devices’ activity to maximize rewards for owners, the companies say. Fetch’s DeltaV marketplace allows data consumers to connect to a network of decentralized suppliers.
Bosch is “not really focused on one blockchain or on one decentralized marketplace,” Peter Busch, product owner of the company’s distributed ledger technologies mobility team, told Blockworks.
“So in terms of data sovereignty, privacy and security, what we can achieve with these decentralized technologies – self-sovereign identity – is actually that we leverage [our personal data] in a more anonymous way.”
The business trip presented a proof-of-concept during a recent hackathon at the University of Applied Sciences in Saarbruecken, Germany.
Fetch has been working with Bosch for some time, with the aim of creating privacy-preserving data sharing around the use of AI agents, as part of MoveID, a government-funded project led by Bosch that has similar objectives.
“One of the most important aspects is enabling self-sovereign identities in vehicles and in mobility infrastructure,” Maria Minaricova, head of business development at Fetch, told Blockworks.
“You give the machines an identity and they can operate autonomously,” she said.
Taking control of privacy and monetizing user-generated data is one of the biggest stories surrounding Web3 technologies in general. And the EU is taking big steps in this area, Busch said, even though the role of crypto is politically charged.
“We are looking for alternative technologies to the classic cloud technologies of Google and Amazon,” he said. “They are in [the car] and they are taking more and more parts of the car, and this is quite a dangerous situation.”
“For example, together with peaq we have a use case in which you can show how the car handles charging [point] in a decentralized manner,” Busch said, while maintaining the privacy of the driver’s data.
Token incentives promote the deployment of such devices and services. Helium’s wireless mobile data is a notable example of this.
Read more: Unlimited Helium Mobile cell plan is available nationwide for $20 per month
Payments can be settled on various blockchains – not only on Fetch.ai, a Cosmos-based blockchain, but also on peaq, on Polkadot, and even on existing Web2 systems, through the use of APIs.