Trusted IoT Edge Oracle

Proposal Summary

Budget Information 135000

Time 6 months

Problem Statement

Energy data is currently siloed in centralized databases and untrusted by third parties. Traditional smart meters are expensive, closed-source, and lack cryptographic signing, making them vulnerable to "Man-in-the-Middle" attacks and data spoofing. Cardano currently lacks an open-source, industrial-grade hardware oracle capable of securely capturing, signing, and broadcasting verified energy data directly from the source to the blockchain.

Solution Overview

We are building an Industrial IoT Edge Oracle powered by custom Rust Firmware and Hardware Security Modules (HSM/TPM). This device reads data directly from solar inverters via Modbus, cryptographically signs it at the hardware level (ensuring Non-repudiation), and streams it via a Universal API, serving as the "Guardian of Truth" for the entire ecosystem.

Campaign Category

1. Innovation

We are pioneering the Physical Trust Layer for Energy on Cardano. While most DePIN projects rely on flimsy hobbyist hardware (like Raspberry Pis which fail in industrial heat) or closed proprietary systems, our innovation lies in three industrial-grade differentiators:

1. Industrial-Grade Resilience: We utilize off-the-shelf Industrial Gateways (e.g., Teltonika RUTX series) designed to survive harsh solar farm environments (dust, vibration, -40°C to 75°C temperatures). We avoid the high risk of custom PCB manufacturing by focusing our innovation on advanced Rust Firmware deployed on battle-tested hardware.

2. Hardware-Rooted Trust (The "Secure Element"): We integrate Industrial USB Security Dongles (e.g., YubiHSM/Nitrokey) or leverage onboard TPM 2.0. Private keys are generated inside this secure element and never leave it. This ensures Non-repudiation—once data is signed, it is mathematically proven to come from that specific physical device. This makes spoofing impossible even if the host Operating System is compromised.

3. Universal Data Oracle Strategy: This device is Protocol Agnostic. It acts as a "Universal Oracle" that can feed verified data to any consumer—whether it is our own B-REC Protocol, external Carbon Auditors, Legacy Registries (I-REC), or other dApps. This creates a "Data-as-a-Service" revenue model that is robust and independent of any specific token's price action.

2. Prototype/MVP Demonstration

By the end of the 6-month timeline, we will have a fully functional, deployment-ready Industrial IoT Oracle and a Verification Management System. The MVP will demonstrate:

• The Hardware Integration: A ruggedized gateway running our custom Rust Firmware, successfully communicating with a real solar inverter via Modbus RS485 and securing cryptographic keys via an HSM.

• The Trust Chain: A live demonstration of the "Secure Boot" process and "Hardware Signing," proving that data payloads are signed by a key that cannot be extracted.

• The Universal API: A public, documented API endpoint where anyone can query the signed energy data JSONs from our pilot device in real-time.

• The Industrial Pilot: A 30-day continuous run at a partner solar farm, showcasing stability (uptime), data integrity, and network resilience under real-world conditions.

3. Measures of Success

1. Hardware Reliability: The device achieves 99.9% uptime during the 30-day industrial pilot without requiring a manual reboot or maintenance intervention.

2. Security Integrity: Independent penetration testing confirms that Private Keys cannot be extracted from the Secure Element/HSM, and the firmware creates a valid audit trail.

3. Interoperability: The Universal Data API successfully serves valid data to at least two different simulated consumers (e.g., the B-REC Protocol backend and a mock Auditor Dashboard).

4. Operational Viability: Successful execution of the "On-site Commissioning" procedure, creating an immutable link between the Physical Device ID, the GPS location, and the Digital Identity (DID).

Solution

B-REC Edge: The Guardian of Truth.

We are building the physical foundation for the Energy RWA ecosystem on Cardano. Our solution attacks the "Garbage In, Garbage Out" problem at its root: the physical data source.

The "Hardware-First" Architecture:

1. The Edge (Industrial Gateway): We select battle-tested industrial hardware (like the Teltonika RUT series) that supports Modbus/RS485 natively. This ensures widespread compatibility with existing solar infrastructure.

2. The Security (HSM/TPM): We employ a hardware-based "Root of Trust" (using USB HSM or TPM) to store private keys. This ensures military-grade security where the key is isolated from the application logic.

3. The Firmware (Rust): We write the logic in Rust for memory safety and concurrency. This firmware polls the inverter, buffers data offline if the internet cuts out (preventing data loss), and signs payloads using the HSM before transmission.

4. The Oracle (Universal Verification): A backend server that receives the stream, verifies the Ed25519 signatures, checks for anomalies (e.g., generation at night), and exposes the clean, signed data via a standard API.

Value Proposition for Users (Why buy this?): We position this device as a "2-in-1 Solution" to drive adoption:

• Operational Monitoring: It replaces expensive legacy SCADA systems, giving farm owners free, granular, real-time monitoring dashboards to track their plant's health.

• Asset Tokenization: It enables them to mint high-value "Gold Tier" RWA tokens (via the B-REC Protocol). This ROI model ensures adoption is driven by utility, not just speculative token incentives.

Strategic Independence and Synergy:

While this B-REC Edge device is designed to be the "Gold Standard" data source for our complementary software proposal, the B-REC Protocol (a system for minting RWA tokens from various data sources), it is engineered to be fully independent and commercially valuable on its own.

• Synergy Scenario (Both proposals funded): The B-REC Edge device feeds its cryptographically signed data directly to the B-REC Protocol to automatically mint the highest-quality "Tier 1" RWA tokens. This creates a seamless, end-to-end trusted ecosystem.

• Independent Scenario (Only this proposal funded): The B-REC Edge functions as a standalone "Data Oracle." We can sell this verified data stream as a service to traditional I-REC registries, carbon auditors, or other blockchain projects (like Midnight or IOTA) that need trusted real-world inputs. The value lies in the Data Quality and the Hardware Trust, which exists regardless of the token protocol.

Impact

• Infrastructure for DePIN: We provide the open hardware specifications and open-source firmware that any developer can use to build their own Energy DePIN nodes on Cardano, bootstrapping a physical network.

• Solving the "Garbage In" Problem: By signing data at the hardware level, we eliminate the risk of manual data tampering at the source, significantly increasing the market value of any RWA minted downstream.

• Data as a Service: We create a new business model for the ecosystem where high-quality, verifiable energy data becomes a tradable commodity itself, useful for AI modeling, grid optimization, and auditing.

Capabilities & Feasibility

Team Capabilities:

• IoT Lead: Embedded Systems Engineer with 10 years of experience in Industrial Automation (SCADA/PLC). Expert in the Modbus protocol and implementing 'Root of Trust' on Industrial Gateways using TPM 2.0/HSM. Proven track record of deploying remote monitoring systems in Southeast Asia.

• Rust Developer: Specialist in embedded Rust, focusing on no_std environments and async runtimes. This expertise ensures firmware stability and memory safety, which is critical for remote devices that cannot be easily rebooted.

• Backend Architect: Experience building high-throughput ingestion pipelines (MQTT/Kafka) capable of handling concurrent data streams from thousands of IoT devices.

Feasibility Strategy:

• Off-the-shelf Hardware: We are not manufacturing custom PCBs, which carries high failure risk and long lead times. We are writing software for existing, proven Industrial Gateways. This reduces hardware manufacturing risk to near zero.

• Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL): Our firmware uses a HAL design pattern. While we target Teltonika for the pilot, the code is portable. We can quickly port to other Linux-based industrial gateways (e.g., Advantech, Moxa) if supply chain issues arise with our primary vendor.

• Lab Simulation: We will develop a "Modbus Simulator" in Milestone 2. This allows us to test the firmware rigorously against thousands of edge cases (connection drops, invalid data, buffer overflows) before ever going to the physical site.

Milestones

Milestone 1: Hardware & Security Architecture Industrial Hardware Selection & Security Design

Milestone Outputs:

1. Industrial BOM Selection: Finalize the Bill of Materials (BOM), selecting the specific Industrial Gateway model (e.g., Teltonika RUTX) and the USB Hardware Security Module (e.g., YubiKey/Nitrokey). Procurement of initial dev units.

2. Security Architecture Design: A comprehensive technical document designing the "Trusted Boot" process, Key Generation Ceremony, and Key Storage architecture. It must detail how keys are kept isolated within the Secure Element.

3. Modbus Register Map: Define the specific data points (Voltage, Current, Active Power, Frequency, Total Energy) for the selected pilot inverter brand (e.g., Huawei) to standardize data collection.

Acceptance Criteria:

• BOM verified for global availability and technical compatibility (ports, OS support).

• Security Design Document covers threat modeling (physical attacks, side-channel attacks).

• Register Map JSON definition is published and verified against the Inverter's official manual.

Evidence of Completion:

• A finalized BOM list with vendor quotes.

• The Security Architecture Whitepaper (PDF).

• The Modbus Register Map JSON file on GitHub.

Delivery Month: Month 2 Cost: 35,000 ADA

Milestone 2: The Firmware (Rust Embedded) Develop Industrial Firmware (Modbus & Signing)

Milestone Outputs:

1. Modbus Polling Driver: A Rust-based driver to stably read data from the inverter via RS485/TCP.

2. Hardware-based Signing: Integration logic to offload cryptographic signing (Ed25519) to the connected HSM/TPM module.

3. Offline Buffer Logic: A local storage mechanism (SQLite/Flash) to buffer data when internet connectivity is lost and resync automatically when restored (Zero Data Loss guarantee).

4. Simulator Tool: A software tool to simulate inverter signals for CI/CD pipeline testing.

Acceptance Criteria:

• Firmware compiles successfully for the target gateway architecture (e.g., ARMv7).

• The Simulator feeds dummy data; firmware successfully signs it using the HSM and outputs valid JSON.

• The Offline Buffer retains at least 7 days of data during a simulated network outage and uploads it upon reconnection.

Evidence of Completion:

• Link to the Firmware GitHub Repository.

• A Video Demo showing the Simulator feeding data and the Signing process occurring in the Lab environment.

Delivery Month: Month 4 Cost: 45,000 ADA

Milestone 3: The Universal Oracle Node Develop Universal Verification Oracle

Milestone Outputs:

1. Ingestion API: A scalable MQTT/HTTP server designed to receive data streams from edge devices.

2. Verification Logic: Backend logic to verify Ed25519 signatures against the device's public key and detect data anomalies (e.g., generation > capacity).

3. Universal Data API: A standardized, documented REST API for external consumers (Auditors, Protocols) to query verified data.

4. Device Management UI (Basic): A simple dashboard for admins to view device status (Online/Offline), firmware version, and last seen timestamp.

Acceptance Criteria:

• The Server correctly verifies valid signed packets and rejects invalid ones.

• The Universal API returns valid, standard JSON data to a test client (e.g., Postman).

• The Management UI correctly updates the device status in real-time.

Evidence of Completion:

• Public API Documentation (Swagger/OpenAPI).

• A Postman Collection for testing the API.

• Screenshots/Video of the Device Management UI in action.

Delivery Month: Month 5 Cost: 35,000 ADA

Milestone 4: Industrial Pilot & Release Real-world Industrial Pilot & Open Specs

Milestone Outputs:

1. Field Deployment: Physical installation of the device at a real solar farm partner for a 30-day continuous test. Includes "On-site Commissioning" (binding Device ID to GPS/Serial).

2. Open Hardware Release: Publication of the full "Hardware Blueprint," including wiring diagrams, final BOM, and Firmware source code.

3. Integration Guide: Comprehensive documentation for 3rd parties on how to build their own node or consume the Universal API.

4. Close-out Video: A high-quality video filmed on-site at the solar farm demonstrating the installation and data flow.

Acceptance Criteria:

• The device operates with >99% uptime for the 30-day period.

• Real-world data matches the inverter's local display and is visible via the Universal API.

• All repositories and documentation are public and accessible.

Evidence of Completion:

• A "Pilot Performance Report" containing 30 days of data logs.

• Link to the GitHub Release.

• The On-site Video and Final Project Report submitted to Catalyst.

Delivery Month: Month 6 Cost: 20,000 ADA

Budget & Costs

Total Request: 135,000 ADA

1. Hardware Engineering & Firmware (45% - 60,750 ADA):

• Role: Senior Embedded Engineer (Rust) & IoT Architect.

• Details: Development of the core IP: the secure Rust firmware. This involves complex low-level programming to interface with Modbus industrial protocols and integrating the HSM/TPM drivers. This line item also covers the purchase of development hardware (Multiple Industrial Gateways, various HSM chips) for the lab.

• Rate Estimation: A blended rate for two specialists working over 4 months.

• IoT Architect: ~300 hours @ $45/hr (~13,500 USD).

• Senior Rust Dev: ~480 hours @ $35/hr (~16,800 USD).

• Note: Rate converted to ADA at conservative estimate to buffer volatility.

2. Backend Oracle & Universal API (30% - 40,500 ADA):

• Role: Senior Backend Developer.

• Details: Building the scalable Ingestion Engine, the Verification Logic, and the critical "Universal Data API". This ensures the data is usable by anyone, maximizing the project's value. Includes cloud server costs (AWS/DigitalOcean) for hosting the Oracle during development and pilot.

• Rate Estimation: ~580 hours @ $35/hr (~20,300 USD).

3. Field Pilot & Operations (15% - 20,250 ADA):

• Details: All costs associated with the physical deployment and real-world testing.

• Hardware Procurement for Pilot: 2x Industrial Gateways, HSMs, Industrial Enclosures, DIN Rails, Cabling (Est. 5,000 ADA).

• Travel & Install Labor: 2 engineers on-site for 3 days for installation and commissioning (Travel + Per Diem + Labor) (Est. 7,000 ADA).

• Connectivity: Industrial IoT 4G/5G Data Plans for 1 year (Est. 3,000 ADA).

• Contingency: Buffer for site-specific electrical adaptations (Est. 5,250 ADA).

• Rate Estimation: Based on current market prices for industrial hardware and standard travel/labor costs in the deployment region.

4. Security & Project Management (10% - 13,500 ADA):

• Details: Conducting internal security assessments (Vulnerability checks), writing technical documentation (Integration Guides), and overall project coordination/reporting.

• Rate Estimation: ~150 hours @ $45/hr for a part-time Project Manager/Security Lead.

Value for Money

1. Building the "Physical Layer" for Cardano: Cardano excels in software protocols but currently lacks trusted hardware integration. This project provides the Open Source Blueprint for Industrial DePIN. The firmware and architecture we develop can be forked and reused for other IoT verticals (e.g., Water Quality Monitoring, Weather Stations, Supply Chain Tracking), multiplying the ROI of this single grant.

2. Data as a Sovereign Asset: By creating a "Universal Data API," we turn energy data into a valuable asset that exists independently of any single DApp. This "Data-as-a-Service" model opens up new revenue streams and use cases for the Cardano ecosystem (e.g., selling trusted data to AI models, Grid Operators, or traditional auditors), bringing external liquidity into the network.

3. Industrial Grade = Real Adoption: We aren't building toys; we are building industrial tools. By using ruggedized hardware and Rust firmware, we create a solution that real-world energy companies can actually trust and deploy. This moves Cardano from an "experimental" blockchain to an "enterprise utility" capable of handling critical infrastructure data. The device's "2-in-1" value proposition (Free Monitoring + Token Mining) ensures commercial viability beyond the crypto niche.