Vizsafe: The Decentralized Crowdsourcing Safety Network

Although there is no single definition, a Smart City is a settlement that uses various technologies to optimize the delivery of services to citizens and increase residents’ quality of life. While a vast array of sensors and IoT devices will be deployed to meet the data requirements of a smart approach to public service delivery, any city’s largest and most sophisticated sensor network takes the form of its citizens. As the ones who use the city’s infrastructure and services 24/7, they are uniquely placed to report any issues. What stops most people from doing so is firstly the lack of a platform with the appropriate channels and secondly, the lack of immediate incentives — most of the time, an issue will be seen as someone else’s job to address.To address these issues, the Vizsafe platform has been designed to mobilize the crowd and give them a reason to submit information that is in everyone’s interests. Through the power of blockchain, these reports are stored on a decentralized ledger, and, utilizing smart contracts, SPOT tokens are used as incentive to people that upload incident reports, whether that is a potential security threat or faulty infrastructure. It’s the slight nudge that makes ‘someone else’s problem’ into ‘my opportunity’. Once cities start rewarding participation meaningfully, people cease to be consumers and service users but rather contribute information for their collective benefit, while reducing costs for businesses and service providers. They become active partners in maintaining the communities in which they live and work.