ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Open Source ML/DApps

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Xavier

[GENERAL] Email address of main applicant

javier.paz@thecorpora.com

Additional applicants

See Tho Yong Yang

[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)

4

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language.

No

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

No

[GENERAL] If YES, please describe what the dependency is and why you believe it is essential for your project’s delivery. If NO, please write “No dependencies.” .

No dependencies.

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

Yes

[GENERAL] If NO, please describe which outputs are not going to be open source. If YES, please write “Project will be fully open source.”

Project will be fully open source.

[METADATA] Category of proposal

dApp

[METADATA] SDG rating

This blockchain decision making tool is open to all. It can contribute to the following SDG goals.

SDG goals:

Goal 8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all (-> by providing a library of business workflows, easy signing of contracts)

Goal 9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation (promotes inclusive and sustainable digitalization of many business processes).

SDG subgoals:

10.3 Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action in this regard (-> make it equally to verifiably sign documents on all continents with internet access)

7.3 By 2030, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency (-> by shared multitenant SaaS infrastructure for signing, and economical, decentralized storage of these documents)

8.2 Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including through a focus on high-value added and labour-intensive sectors (-> increase value of contracts by making them verifiable, at the same increasing value of signature by integrating the process)

8.4 Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, in accordance with the 10‑Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production, with developed countries taking the lead

[IMPACT] Please describe your proposed solution.

IMPORTANT NOTE

This proposal builds upon our previous initiatives FUNDED and finished* in FUND 5 and FUND 8. We have successfully developed a proof-of-concept software that enables the secure upload of trained and encrypted messages/images onto the Cardano blockchain. During the programming phase of the Fund5 & Fund8 projects, we collaborated with several esteemed universities for the testing process. Here are a few notable ones involved in the testing:

• Oxford
• Stanford
• Osak
• Cambridge
• Yonsei, York
• Seoul National
• UPM in Madrid
• Freie Universität Berlin

and many others, are currently conducting testing on our company's Cardano blockchain repositories.

*You can see the project finished in our Gitlab repositories: https://gitlab.com/thecorpora

THE PROBLEM IN CONTEXT

Human decision-making is frequently marred by irrationality and bias. In the context of group decisions, the complexity is compounded by dynamic interactions, often leading to suboptimal outcomes for both individuals and the collective. Moreover, in centralized systems, even trained artificial intelligence systems remain vulnerable to hacking.

Example to Understand Easily:

• In the field of robotics, envision a fleet of "Cop Robots" deployed to patrol the streets, engaging with people and utilizing OpenCV vision technology to identify antisocial behaviors. These robots could leverage voice recognition or cloud computing to communicate over a blockchain network, employing smart contracts to trigger appropriate actions. For instance, upon detecting a person inflicting harm on another, the system could initiate a vote to determine the best approach or call for assistance. However, to enable such advanced functionality, smart contracts must possess enhanced security measures and the ability to interact with external data sources. Consider the scenario wherein an individual maliciously hacks into a centralized and private cloud service, posing a potential threat.

• Ethical Dilemmas in Autonomous Cars: Balancing the Safety of Pedestrians and Passengers. Consider the following ethical conundrum in the context of autonomous cars: You find yourself driving along a narrow road when, unexpectedly, a lone pedestrian leaps into your path. With barriers flanking the road, your options become limited. Do you continue driving straight and collide with the pedestrian, or do you swerve into one of the barriers to save their life? It's a complex decision to make. Now, let's expand the scenario. What if there were five or ten pedestrians on the road instead of just one? Does your answer change? What if those pedestrians happened to be children?

In reality, while such situations may be rare, a human driver would likely face the need to make an instantaneous decision without ample time for thorough deliberation.

However, the urgency to address these dilemmas intensifies when we consider the potential future role of self-driving vehicles in making such choices on our behalf. This necessitates engineers to proactively determine the most optimal and ethically sound approaches to programming these vehicles for such critical scenarios.

The development of robust frameworks for handling such ethical decisions becomes paramount as we envision a future where autonomous vehicles play a significant role in transportation. The challenge lies in establishing guidelines that prioritize the safety of both pedestrians and passengers while adhering to societal ethical standards. Through thoughtful programming and the incorporation of comprehensive decision-making algorithms, engineers aim to ensure that self-driving cars can navigate these complex ethical dilemmas in the best possible manner, upholding safety and ethical principles alike.

SOLUTION

To address decision-making challenges in robotics and autonomous vehicles, the blockchain can serve as a viable solution. By incorporating millions of trained decisions from AI/ML decision libraries, the blockchain enables the acceptance of optimal decisions, even if it means sacrificing the well-being of the passenger. Prioritizing the safety of individuals, particularly children, and maximizing the probability of survival in potential accidents becomes paramount. This can be achieved through the implementation of private and public servers, with each decision's proof of concept uploaded to the Cardano Blockchain.

Once the Open Source API for our Software Development Kit (SDK) is finalized, we will distribute it to our community for validation and feedback. The community, consisting of ready users, will have the opportunity to connect their systems to the blockchain via the new API/SDK. This collaborative effort ensures the continuous improvement and effectiveness of the decision-making process in robotics and autonomous vehicles.

[IMPACT] How does your proposed solution address the challenge and what benefits will this bring to the Cardano ecosystem?

Benefits to the Cardano Ecosystem

Our company aims to be at the forefront of technological advancements by embracing the convergence of robotics and blockchain. SingularityNet, renowned for their development of artificial intelligence systems, has established a notable presence in this field and has been collaborating with Cardano for several years, even introducing their own cryptocurrency, AGIX. We firmly believe that decentralized systems such as Cardano will play a pivotal role in the future of guided systems for both robots and autonomous vehicles.

By aligning ourselves with Cardano and its ecosystem, we aspire to leverage this cutting-edge technology. This strategic partnership has the potential to greatly enhance Cardano's popularity in the years to come. It is our vision to capitalize on these advancements and position our company as a leader in the field, driving innovation and revolutionizing the capabilities of robotics and autonomous transportation systems.

By developing this decision-making system on the Cardano Blockchain, we tackle two key challenges:

1. Demonstrating the proof of concept (POC) for a decentralized decision-making system on a blockchain.
2. Establishing the proof of value (POV), showcasing that a decentralized decision-making system on a blockchain offers greater trustworthiness compared to a centralized system.

Our project aims to pave the way for future adoption and validation of similar architectures on the Cardano blockchain.

How can we effectively onboard new developers to the Cardano Blockchain?

To facilitate this process, we propose the development of an Open Source API and SDK specifically designed for AI/ML applications in Natural Language and Speech Recognition. These tools can be thoroughly tested using our Open Sourced robots, forming the foundation for integrating with other tool sets. The aim is to test AI/ML applications and algorithms with training data on the blockchain.

Over the past 14 years, our open source robots have garnered a robust and diverse community encompassing various universities and research centers. This community has actively contributed to the development of Q.bo's open source platform on GITLAB. Leveraging our existing SDK, we have successfully developed applications in Computer Vision, Natural Language, and Speech Recognition.

In the current phase of development (FUND 10), we strive to create a new intermediate layer (API) that acts as a communication bridge between the robot's operating system and the decision-making process. This will enable research centers working with our robots to develop innovative applications on the blockchain and subsequently test them on the robot itself.

This approach serves as a foundational model demonstrating how blockchain technology can be utilized to validate and acquire data models for AI/ML applications. By fostering collaboration and providing developers with the necessary tools and infrastructure, we aim to expand the adoption and advancement of Cardano Blockchain within the developer community.

How will we engage new developers in the future?

Once the development of our new Dapp for the SDK is complete, we will distribute it to our existing community for validation and feedback. This community consists of eager users who will be able to utilize the new API/SDK and connect to the Blockchain.

In 2017, we achieved remarkable success with our crowdfunding campaign on INDIEGOGO, raising over $200,000 in just over a month.

Looking ahead, our plan is to launch another campaign in 2023 or 2024. This new campaign will showcase the fully finished SDK, including support for the Cardano Blockchain. We aim to collaborate with the two largest crowdfunding platforms worldwide, Kickstarter and Indiegogo, thereby generating increased visibility for the Cardano project. This endeavor will attract new users and developers to the constantly expanding and evolving Cardano ecosystem.

Market Size of Blockchain for Decentralized Federated Learning Algorithms

Blockchain technology has the potential to revolutionize federated learning algorithms by decentralizing them, enabling the equitable sharing of benefits from collective training models among multiple data owners while reducing inherent algorithmic biases. The market size of AI training datasets is projected to reach an estimated value of US$4.8 billion by 2027, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.5% [source: Grand View Research Inc.]. By leveraging our decentralized blockchain model, we aim to further expand and capitalize on this growing market.

For more information on the market size projection, please refer to the following source:

[Link: AI Training Dataset Market Size Worth $4.8 Billion by 2027 – CAGR 22.5% - Grand View Research Inc.] https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ai-training-dataset-market-size-worth-4-8-billion-by-2027--cagr-22-5-grand-view-research-inc-301064957.html

[IMPACT] How do you intend to measure the success of your project?

• Development progress will undergo auditing by the following entities:

1. Our extensive global community: We have a vibrant forum comprising over 3,600 users actively engaged in the development of apps for our robot. You can access the forum here.
2. Commits to our open-source GitLab repository: You can review the commits made to our repository here. This provides transparency and visibility into the development process.
3. Task assignment, management, and delivery: We employ a systematic approach to assign, manage, and deliver tasks, ensuring effective progress tracking.
4. Problem and bug resolution: We have established mechanisms to gather, manage, and resolve issues, including problems and bugs that arise during development.
5. Documentation publication: Our blog serves as a platform for publishing comprehensive documentation. You can access our blog here, gaining insights into various aspects of the project.

• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) monitored include:

1. Number of signatures recorded: Tracking the quantity of signatures made.
2. Volume of documents stored on our servers: Measuring the accumulation of documents stored within our servers.
3. Total number of registered users worldwide: Monitoring the growth in the user base across different regions.
4. Count of generated smart contracts for specialized workflows: Tracking the creation of smart contracts that facilitate specific workflows tailored to our objectives.

[IMPACT] Please describe your plans to share the outputs and results of your project?

We will publish a webpage that details the following parameters for the above mentioned KPIs

a. Number of Signatures Recorded

b. Number of Documents Stored within Our Servers

c. Number of Registered Users Worldwide

d. Count of Smart Contracts Generated

These parameters will be shared openly on the webpage as a testimony on the practicality and usefulness of the Project.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability?

We were the first company worldwide to demonstrate a robot recognizing itself in a mirror and enabling two robots to share image recognition data in the cloud across two different cities, Barcelona and Valencia. Our expertise lies in developing a technology-driven decision-making system on the Cardano Blockchain, facilitating seamless access to Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence training models.

Pioneering "Robotic" Cloud Computing

Back in 2011, we showcased Q.bo's real-time learning and information sharing capabilities in a centralized cloud computing system in front of numerous witnesses across different locations, namely Barcelona and Valencia. Our vision is to expand this initiative to encompass decentralized networks, where thousands of robots can share knowledge and learn collectively.

To watch the video, please visit the following link (Spanish Version):

https://youtu.be/eRPznrHsTxY

Company Achievements

In 2011, our company was recognized by Intel as one of the most promising companies for the next decade. Furthermore, our product became one of the top 1% crowdfunded projects on Indiegogo in 2017, surpassing 380% of its original sales target. Q.bo One was also featured as one of the three projects unveiled at the 2017 IBM Partner Conference. Additionally, Arrow, a Fortune 500 company, highlighted our success in gaining the trust of backers during the crowdfunding campaign.

About Us

We are developers and manufacturers of Interactive Robots, having successfully sold over a thousand units to partners and customers from 49 countries across six continents. Our clientele includes renowned organizations such as IBM, ASUS, INTEL, Disney, Sopra Steria, among others.

TESTIMONIALS - What is being said about our Robot Company?

• INTEL Events: Article Link: https://www.zdnet.com/pictures/intels-annual-tech-innovation-event/

• BBC NEWS: Article Link: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-19354994

• ARROW ( Arrow Electronics is an American Fortune 500 company headquartered in Centennial, Colorado. ) Article Link: https://www.arrow.com/en/research-and-events/videos/meet-the-social-robot-qbo

• CNET: Article Link: https://www.cnet.com/culture/time-lapse-vid-shows-qbo-robot-assembly/

• SINGULARITY HUB: Article Link: https://singularityhub.com/2010/05/30/qbo-the-tiny-open-source-robot-wants-to-invigorate-human-machine-interaction/

• ROBOTICS BUSINESS REVIEW: Article Link: https://www.roboticsbusinessreview.com/ai/qbo-may-be-short-but-its-head-is-in-the-cloud/

COMPANY BACKGROUND CHECK

VIDEO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHLnZO4QMD4&t=1s

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] What are the main goals for the project and how will you validate if your approach is feasible?

The main goals of the project is to validate Decentralized Decision Making System works on the Blockchain, applying it in the use case for social robotics. The POC with the subsequent POV will showcase that such a tool can work with AI and has the ability to apply to many other cases, including infrastructure, transport and advanced manufacturing, among others.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] Please provide a detailed breakdown of your project’s milestones and each of the main tasks or activities to reach the milestone plus the expected timeline for the delivery.

4 Month | WP1 - Develop the Database System Create a new solid Database using PostgreSQL + Source Code - We need to mix the Trained Models we made in FUND5 & FUND8 with the new Database.

4 Month | WP2 - Develop the server/unit network Develop the code to run the server/unit network communication + API/SDK

3 Month | WP3 - Deployment of a Server/Unit network ( robot ). Deploy the first Server Unit network to.

2 Month | WP3 - Communication Testing. Test the communication between two networks and robots.

3 Weeks | WP4 - Database Management Test the behavior of the database. Optional: Include DOI

M1 - Working PostgreSQL Database working with the selected data.

M2 - Deploy a test network of 6-9 robots and a server.

M3 - Successful communication between two networks. Mo - Working DOI to tag the new trained databases.

M4 - Operative Message System.

D1 - Source code of the Database ( Gitlab Repositories )

D2 - Source code for the server/unit communication. ( Gitlab Repositories )

D3 - Source code (allegedly .nix files) for the RPI4 unit deployment. ( Gitlab Repositories )

Output: Four ( 2 Servers from Fund8 & 1 Servers from Fund10 ) fully communicated server/unit networks.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] Please describe the deliverables, outputs and intended outcomes of each milestone.

Development progress will be audited by:

• Our big community around the world. We have a forum with more than 3.600,- users working and development apps for our robot. You can enter here.
• Commits to our open-source GitLab repo, You can see here.
• Assign, manage and deliver tasks,
• Gather, manage and solve problems, bugs, etc.
• Publishing documentation in our blog. You can see here.

KPIs:

• Number of signatures made.
• Number of documents stored in our servers.
• Number of registered users around the world.
• Number of generated smart contracts that realize specialized workflows.

[RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] Please provide a detailed budget breakdown of the proposed work and resources.

What are we going to spend the money on?

We want to maintain part of the FUND8 team and create a new team of engineers and developers within our company that specialized in working with Blockchain as well as build a new RACK of 4 new servers for sending vision, speech and recognition data and patterns of "proof" to the Cardano´s network.

With the rest of the money we will send updated robots to some universities that can help us improve the API of our SDK, some of them will be in Africa.

Putting a Price on a Vision

In order to bring their vision into reality our project is seeking a budget of 198.499,- ADAS This will oversee phase one of their proposal, which will be divided as follows.

4 team members ( 1xSenior - 1xSemi Junior - 2xJunior )

Team Cost Profile

• Senior USD 40 hourly rate
• Semi Junior USD 30 hourly rate
• Junior USD 25 hourly rate

Dedication: 20 hrs avg per week per person

Time Estimated: Total of 16 weeks ( 4 Months )

• Senior Total Cost: $40 x 20 hrs/week x 16 weeks : 49.230- ADAS*
• Semi Junior Total Cost: $30 x 20 hrs/week x 16 weeks: 36.923,- ADAS*
• Junior Cost: $25 x $20 hrs/week x 2 People x 16 weeks: 61.538,- ADAS*
• Government Costs ( team ): 10.987,- ADAS*
• Repositories Documentation: 2.000,- ADAS*

• HP Server Gen10 826566-B21 Server Rack. Each Unit 14.615 ADAS x 1 units= 14.615 ADAS*
• 5 robots to send to universities and technology centers for testing 2.688 ADAS x 5units= 10.344 ADAS*
• Marketing & Promoting ( FB & GA ) = 8.692 ADAS*
• Extras = 4.170 ADAS*

*ADA price at July 12th 2023. 1$=0,26 ADA

They would like to emphasise that the above does not mean all members will be working 20 hours a week, for the entire 16 weeks. It's merely an estimate of the overall linear team effort required. Tasks will be prioritized and distributed according to skills, as needed. The budget and deliverables for each task will be estimated and agreed upon by the team. This is in line with the same principles our project aspires to uphold. We need to build and test "real" robots to send to universities or researchers too.

The rest of the money will be for mini servers and robots for the community in order to test the API.

The public date launch will be at the end of the year. Betatesters will have a demo months before the end date.

[RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

The investment for Cardano in this project is small to show that a tool like this works on the blockchain. This will help other Companies, Universities, Programmers or Individuals build similar decision making tools on Cardano and bring greater activity and transactions to Cardano. Note that our Company works with dozens of Universities and hundreds of Companies around the world from 2008.

[IMPORTANT NOTE] The Applicant agreed to Fund10 rules and also that data in the Submission Form and other data provided by the project team during the course of the project will be publicly available.

I Accept