Weathernet Could an autonomous agent use blockchain technology to make money forecasting
the weather? Flash-forward to 2020. The best weather forecasts globally are coming
from a network of smart devices that are measuring and predicting the weather all
around the world. That year, an autonomous agent named BOB is released onto this
network to collaborate with these devices to create a business. Here’s how BOB
works.
Distributed environmental sensors (weatherNodes) on utility poles, in people’s
clothes, on roofs of buildings, traveling in cars, and linked to satellites are all
connected in a global mesh network. No need for an Internet service provider for
connectivity. Rather than communicating with a central database, they store their data
on a blockchain.
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Many are solar powered and so they don’t need the electrical grid;
they can effectively operate indefinitely.
The blockchain handles a few functions. First, it settles payments. As an
incentive, each weatherNode receives a micropayment every thirty seconds for
providing accurate weather telemetry (temperature, humidity, wind, etc.) at a