Now and robotics! Where else has the blockchain's hand reached?

Why say so much about the blockchain? No, not only because Bitcoin costs already $ 7,000. By itself, the technology of a distributed registry is already used in instant messengers , the Internet of things, and the delivery of goods. Or robotics.

Robots on the blockchain - what kind of animals?

One of the first to come up with this was Eduardo Castello Ferrer , an engineer in the field of robotics, a researcher at the MIT Media Lab. This thought came to him in the course of his work on studying the behavior of robot groups , in which robots need to make decisions collectively.



Such groups can be used for distributed sensing and search and rescue operations, and the most large-scale example is precision farming, where a whole army of drones could provide the farmer with a detailed picture of the status of his plot.



But in fact, engineers are faced with security and logistics problems. It was here that Ferrer saw signs of panacea in the blockchain.



The idea is that robots are nodes of the network and “commit transactions in blocks”. As a result, secure communication, orderly decision-making and distribution of behavioral functions.

The problem of collective decision making is solved without a central authority: just by voting in the blockchain. For example, the “collective” of sensory drones should determine what is shown in the picture: flowers or dumplings? One of the group launches a vote on a new transaction, creating two addresses (“flowers” ​​or “dumplings”). As a result, each robot “voices” its decision in the form of a transfer sent to the corresponding one of the options. The final result is the majority opinion.

Since each robot has access to viewing the blocks, they quickly learn the results of the voting. True, not all the carnival. So, at the confirmation of a single transaction, at best, it takes 10 minutes, which is a long time for quick decision making. Especially if the group is faced with the task of choice: for example, turn left or right with respect to that concrete pillar, which is already five - no, already three! - meters from it.



However, the author’s forecasts are still rather optimistic: he believes that a breakthrough in this area opens up new options for business models.



The idea to use the blockchain in robotics is supported by Dmitry Bulychkov, director of the Center for Technological Innovations of Sberbank of Russia.







“Blockchain platform can be a social environment for robots without social control from outside. At the same time, the risks are not higher than in a centralized system, the expert is convinced. “And even if this is so, then no one will stop exploring this direction.”



In the department of Dmitry also conduct research in this area.



“This is not the main direction of our activity, but we are studying a new technology. This topic is promising, ”said the developer.