By
Mercy Tukiya Mutanya
January 23rd, 2024
In the patent, Walmart explains the benefits of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) blockchain-based coordination system that can seamlessly communicate information in real-time.
There’s not an iota of doubt that big organizations and increasingly looking towards blockchain to overhaul their operations. Specifically, businesses associated with the supply chain industry and the retail industry are experimenting with blockchain solutions.
American retail giant Walmart has recently filed a patent for a blockchain-based drone communication system. Walmart submitted its patent to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) earlier this month on August 1.
The filing describes a drone system which can encrypt and store all the operational parameters of the drone. This information is later communicated to another drone which will decrypt it, reads and configures the parameters. Thus, Walmart plans to establish a vehicle-to-vehicle communication system among drones.
These drones will establish a mesh communication network, relay messages between them and allow them to be aware of each other’s operations and locations. The communicating information will carry important data like flight heights, drone identification number, flight speeds, battery information, flight routes, and the loading capacity.
To facilitate seamless operation, Walmart plans to use the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) blockchain-based coordination system. Besides, the patent also explains that encrypting data on a decentralized ledger will help the execution of the operational parameters in an uncompromised manner.
Explaining the benefits of blockchain technology, the patent claims:
“A blockchain ledger may store any kind of information that may be stored in any other format or medium, for example, a large list of instructions of different types, navigational information, and maps. In such a way, a same software profile may be deployed across the cloned drones.”
Note that this is just an application which is currently under review for the time being. However, it is not for the first time that Walmart is applying for a blockchain-based patent. Back in 2017, the retail giant applied for a similar patent on blockchain-based drone tech.
Besides, Walmart is actively involved with tech giants like IBM in other blockchain-based projects. It is also working along with the American Food and Drug Administration for tracking pharmaceutical shipments using the blockchain technology.
Earlier this month, Walmart submitted another patent dubbed “System and Method for Digital Currency via Blockchain,” to launch its own USD-pegged digital currency in the market.
“Generating one digital currency unit by tying the one digital currency unit to a regular currency; storing information of the one digital currency unit into a block of a blockchain; buying or paying the one digital currency unit,” notes the patent.