San Francisco-based technology company Chronicled has recently unveiled a prototype of machine-to-machine cooperation intermediated by a public blockchain.

The company, currently focused on developing a blockchain-hosted registry for the Internet of Things (IoT), has released a video that showcases a drone equipped with a secure blockchain-registered BLE identity chip. The drone is able to self-authenticate with a computer-controlled window and gain access to a private residence in order to deliver a package.

The identity of the drone is verified by asking it to cryptographically sign a random number, which is then compared with the blockchain hosted public key that was registered at the time the drone went into service along with metadata describing the make, model, and specifications of the drone. Chronicled engineer Maksym Petkus explains the working in the video:

The prototype is underpinned by the Ethereum blockchain, which along with an IoT and Blockchain protocol developed by Chronicled, makes it possible to create a secure Internet identity for any physical object, product, or machine and to program smart contracts governing machine-to-machine interactions and payments.

"As far as we know, this is the first use of blockchain technology in interaction with a dynamic physical object and access control in real-time.  In a future version, we can assign the drone a digital wallet, so that it can send and receive micropayments.  For example, the drone could make a payment for accessing a landing pad equipped with a battery recharging station”, Petkus said.

Chronicled said that as the system is decentralized, hypothetically any individual could register a drone containing an identity chip to blockchain and send packages back and forth across town to a friend or family member with a programmed route and simple access control devices on the windows.  

The identity chip within the drone is manufactured by Silicon Labs and runs Chronicled custom firmware. It protects a private key that enables the chip to cryptographically sign random challenges, which is the basis for the blockchain authentication. According to the official release, the chipset and special firmware is available for brands, companies, and hobbyists who are interested in creating secure digital experiences for physical property.

In March, Chronicled announced that it raised an additional $3,425,000 in a series seed financing round led by Mandra Capital. More recently, the company launched first-of-its-kind open registry for Internet of Things on Ethereum blockchain.