Oracle for Agriculture: Integrating Satellite Imagery with Cardano

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Ignacio Huici

[GENERAL] Email address of main applicant

ignacio.huici@milar.farm

Additional applicants

federico@txpipe.io

santiago@txpipe.io

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

9

[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?

Yes

[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.” .

TxPipe will be our software development service provider.

[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

Data, Explorers, Trackers

[METADATA] SDG rating

2 - End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

6 - Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

9 - Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

12 - Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

15 - Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

[IMPACT] Please describe your proposed solution.

The idea is to create an Oracle that leverages satellite imagery for quantitative agricultural analysis, serving as an input for RealFi protocols on the Cardano blockchain.

This Oracle would process and interpret satellite data, running algorithms for crop identification, yield estimation, and other relevant parameters. The analyzed data would then be securely and reliably made available to the Cardano blockchain in the form of a paid oracle.

Current and future RealFi protocols, like prediction markets or lending platforms, could use this oracle to power their smart contracts.

What we’re building

The scope for this proposal is to build a working prototype to serve as proof of concept. This PoC will be limited to any of the available Cardano testnets.

The core of our project is a data provider component in charge of executing the quantitative analysis of the fields that have been flagged for study. This component will be responsible for the following functions:

• Provides a web frontend and an API that allows users to specify the shape and location of the fields (demo).
• Stores the geo-coordinates of each field in a geo-aware database; along with the definition of the analysis to be performed.
• Performs background cron-jobs fetching new multispectral imagery from most common satellite sources (such as NASA’s Landsat program or ESA's Sentinel-2 program)
• Generates raster images representing NDVI and other similar values from the multispectral images.
• Aggregates the raster data into discrete buckets according to the requirements defined by the final data consumer.
• Submits the discrete values as reference input to the Cardano blockchain where it can be consumed by other protocols.

The following video shows the mock prototype that we've built fo the frontend component:

https://youtu.be/4Z3MA_pXYIc

2nd Phase (out of scope for this proposal)

On a 2nd iteration of our solution, we’re going to explore how to expand our PoC into a fully functional MVP. Some changes will be required to the software, such as the capability to decentralize data providers among independent entities; either by creating our own consensus mechanism or by reaching out to existing decentralized oracles in the Cardano ecosystem to integrate our data feed.

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

Introduce a novel use-case: Our solution offers new use cases within the Cardano ecosystem, enabling farmers, financial institutions, insurers, and consumers to leverage accurate agricultural data for decision-making, financial services and insurance. This expands the ecosystem's value proposition and attracts a diverse range of users.

Increased adoption / chain activity: By addressing key challenges in the agriculture industry and providing innovative solutions, our project has the potential to attract a significant number of users to the Cardano ecosystem. This increased adoption contributes to the ecosystem's growth and sustainability.

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

• Testnet adoption: we’ll measure the amount of fields registered for analysis and the number of transactions consuming reference inputs on-chain.
• Oracle performance: we’ll measure performance of the oracle in terms of data retrieval, processing, and transmission to the blockchain. 
• Data accuracy and completeness: we’ll assess the accuracy and completeness of the farm data recorded on the blockchain by comparing it to analog analysis performed manually using standard techniques.
• Community growth: we’ll measure community engagement through our social media channels (such as Discord, Twitter and LinkedIn).
• Feedback from data consumers: We will gather qualitative feedback from projects or applications consuming the farm data. This will help us assess the satisfaction levels, reliability, and usefulness of the provided data.

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

• Engage with the community through webinars, workshops, and industry conferences.
• Provide detailed documentation and open access resources for developers and researchers.
• Seek research collaborations with academic institutions and industry leaders.
• Share findings, data sets, and insights to inspire new projects and drive advancements.

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

We are confident in delivering this project with high levels of trust and accountability due to our existing capabilities and track record.

Milar, as an Agrotech company with 6 years of experience in the sector, has a proven track record of successfully implementing innovative solutions in agriculture. This team of expert agronomists brings deep domain knowledge and expertise in farming practices, satellite imagery analysis, and crop monitoring. Milar has a strong understanding of the challenges faced by the agriculture industry and are well-positioned to develop practical and effective solutions.

Txpipe, on the other hand, is a team with a solid reputation and track record within the Cardano community. Txpipe has extensive experience and knowledge in blockchain technology, data engineering, and machine learning. This team has previously worked on Agtech projects, collaborating with Milar, which demonstrates their ability to combine expertise in both the agricultural and blockchain domains.

Also, our software development will be open-source, allowing the community to openly monitor the progress of the project.

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

The main goals for our project are as follows:

1. Develop a functional prototype of the Oracle solution leveraging satellite imagery for agricultural analysis.
2. Validate the accuracy and reliability of the processed data compared to ground truth measurements.
3. Ensure seamless integration of the Oracle with the Cardano testnet.
4. Evaluate the user experience and usability of the data input and retrieval processes.
5. Measure the adoption and usage of the Oracle by other projects or stakeholders within the Cardano ecosystem.
6. Gather feedback from users and stakeholders to refine and improve the Oracle's performance and features.

To validate the feasibility of our approach, we will conduct rigorous testing and validation processes, comparing the processed data with established ground truth measurements. We will also assess the smooth integration of the Oracle with the Cardano blockchain and evaluate user feedback and adoption rates. Additionally, continuous improvements and refinements based on user feedback will ensure the project's alignment with the needs and expectations of the agricultural and blockchain communities.

[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.

Milestone #1: Satellite imagery processing pipeline (2 months)

• Develop data collection mechanism for NASA’s Landsat imagery
• Develop multi-spectral image processing and raster generation
• Automate processing pipeline from Landsat updates
• Document example outputs and compare against manual techniques

Milestone #2: Farm management workflow (2 months)

• Develop farm metadata storage layer
• Develop farm management API
• Develop farm management frontend
• Integrate farm management with data processing pipeline

Milestone #3: Oracle implementation (2 months)

• Develop oracle transaction builder
• Integrate transaction builder with data processing pipeline
• Consumer reference implementation

Milestone #4: Testnet deployment (3 months)

• Deploy complete backend on hosting provider
• Perform integration and stress testing on backed
• Monitor full integration weekly and track all outputs
• Onboard partner farms
• Prepare and publish PoC final report

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

Milestone #1: Satellite Imagery Processing Pipeline

• Outcome: A fully functional satellite imagery processing pipeline that utilizes NASA’s Landsat imagery.
• Output: A publicly available open-source repository with all source code developed for this particular milestone and a report showcasing example outputs.

Milestone #2: Farm Management Workflow

• Outcome: A complete, integrated farm management system that seamlessly interacts with the data processing pipeline.
• Output: A publicly available open-source repository with all source code developed for this particular milestone and a playground environment of the frontend and API for external users to try out.

Milestone #3: Oracle Implementation

• Outcome: An centralized Oracle implementation that communicates with the data processing pipeline and submit transactions on a Cardano testnet.
• Output: A publicly available open-source repository with all source code developed for this particular milestone and link to on-chain oracle transactions as evidence.

Milestone #4: Testnet Deployment

• Outcome: A fully functioning system deployed on a hosting provider, thoroughly tested within the context of our PoC users.
• Output: A detailed report of past activity within the context of the PoC; including activity metrics and qualitative feedback from users.

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

FTE = full-time equivalent

Values expressed in ADA (₳)

Breakdown by resource type:

• Architect/Blockchain Expert: 0.5 FTE x 6 months = ₳ 96,429
• Rust developers: 1 FTE x 4 months = ₳ 128,571
• Full Stack developers: 1 FTE x 2 month = ₳ 64,286
• Technical writers: 0.5 FTE x 3 months = ₳ 16,071
• Project manager: 1/8 FTE x 9 months = ₳ 12,054
• Site-reliability engineers: 1 FTE x 3 months = ₳ 85,714
• Agronomic Engineers: 0.25 FTE x 9 months = ₳ 24,107

Breakdown by milestone

• Milestone #1: ₳ 93,857
• Milestone #2: ₳ 93,857
• Milestone #3: ₳ 93,857
• Milestone #4: ₳ 145,661

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

• The costs have been carefully assessed and aligned with industry standards.
• The project delivers significant benefits by enhancing agricultural capabilities with advanced technologies.
• The resulting Oracle solution provides valuable insights and facilitates data-driven decision-making.
• The project's long-term value and potential for innovation justifies the allocated costs.

[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