Sony to revolutionize public transport systems with blockchain

The coronavirus pandemic continues to rage around the world, and most countries are still under lockdown. However, thanks to the technological advancements reached in the last several decades, most tech firms can still keep working. In fact, many have already entered a routine in having their employees work remotely. Thanks to this, they continue their development, and even publish major new announcements.

Sony’s plan to revolutionize transportation

One of the biggest examples here is Sony, which announced earlier today that it managed to create a new blockchain system. The system would help with data integration and service provision over different types and forms of transportation.

In other words, it supports buses, trains, car-sharing services, rental bicycles, taxis, and more.

This new system, which Sony refers to as MaaS (Mobility as a Service), will allow people access to new data regarding different routes. drivers will know which is the best and fastest way to get to their desired destination.

The goal is to use this system to replace a siloed, type-specific interface for each segment of the sector. Usually, users would have to choose and pay for a method of transportation while being completely isolated from wider urban transportation systems.

One example of this would be to use a specific taxi app or pay for a local bus. Now, with Sony's new BCBD (Blockchain Common Database), the system can process huge amounts of data. According to Sony, data of 7m users can not only be collected, but also processed, recorded, and shared every day.

The so-called travel history would, of course, be completely anonymous, and it would serve for recording road conditions. Further, Sony notes that this is the only successful project of this type that the Netherlands Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management chose in 2019.

Additional applications for the new system

Sony's solution was interesting enough to developers for them to start proposing blockchain solutions for the development of MaaS. However, Sony also noted that the system, BCDB, is not limited to MaaS alone. Instead, it can work in many other applications, in smart cities, for example.

Such places will require large-scale sensor data in order to securely share information and keep it transparent. In the meantime, tech giants like sony, as well as 34 other international companies are applying for blockchain patents left and right. Sony applied for around 212 patents related to blockchain tech by the end of March 2020.