SBIR Phase I: Blockchain Microservice for connected and autonomous vehicle infrastructures

该小型企业创新研究（SBIR）项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是使所有制造商的互联和自动驾驶汽车（CAV）能够安全运行，并与彼此及其周围环境进行有效通信。目前的通信协议需要将数据发送到云端进行处理，无法科普对高效和安全的网络连接的日益增长的需求，以操作数百个计算机处理器来实现各种功能，例如：碰撞检测，交通控制，信息娱乐和自动驾驶。通过赋予边缘计算和区块链功能，该项目提出开发一种创新的操作系统，该系统将在连接的环境中访问智能基础设施，同时确保CAV内前所未有的网络安全和可信数据。该创新将利用即将到来的5G连接，加快通信传输，为创建下一代智能交通和物联网基础设施系统奠定基础。SBIR第一阶段项目旨在研究建立可扩展的区块链微服务的可行性，以在互联环境中访问智能基础设施，同时确保互联汽车内的安全性和可信数据。拟议的解决方案将解决客户端基础设施网络的关键挑战，包括延迟差、带宽限制、数据隐私、网络安全和高基础设施成本，这些挑战限制了支持越来越多的物联网设备所需的可扩展性。新系统利用多路访问边缘计算来降低延迟并提高通信速度，将车辆转变为分散式网络的智能节点，能够处理和传播数据。与此同时，该系统将区块链与专有的机器身份方法相结合，以增强安全性和数据完整性，从而抑制黑客攻击。在这个项目中，第一个去中心化网络将在测试环境中建立，以证明与客户端-服务器基础设施相比，其延迟，速度，可扩展性和安全性有所改善。由于关键技术要求是在与互联汽车领域的主要利益相关者讨论后确定的，因此第一阶段项目的成功结果将有助于评估拟议解决方案的商业可行性。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is to enable Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAV) from all manufacturers to operate securely and communicate efficiently with each other and their surroundings. Current communication protocols, which require sending data to the cloud for processing, cannot cope with the increasing demand for efficient and secure network connectivity to operate hundreds of computer processors for diverse functions, such as: collision detection, traffic control, infotainment, and autonomous driving. By empowering edge computing and Blockchain, this project proposes to develop an innovative operating system that will enable access to smart infrastructure in a connected environment while ensuring unprecedented cybersecurity and trusted data within CAV. The innovation will exploit the upcoming 5G connection, to speed up the transmission of the communication laying down the first stone for the creation of the next generation of intelligent transportation and IoT infrastructure systems. The SBIR phase I project proposes to investigate the feasibility of establishing a scalable blockchain microservice to enable access to smart infrastructure in a connected environment while ensuring security and trusted data within connected cars. The proposed solution will address the key challenges of client-infrastructure networks including poor latency, bandwidth constraints, data privacy, cybersecurity and high infrastructure cost, which limit scalability needed to support the increasing number of connected IoT devices. The new system takes advantage of multi-access edge computing to lower latency and improve communication speed, transforming vehicles into intelligent nodes of decentralized networks able to process and disseminate data. At the same time, the system combines blockchain with a proprietary approach to machine identity to enhance security and data integrity to inhibit hacking. In this project, the first decentralized network will be established in a test environment to demonstrate its improved latency, speed, scalability, and safety in comparison to a client-server infrastructure. Since the key technical requirements have been established after discussion with key stakeholders in the connected car sector, the successful outcome of this Phase I project will enable to assess the commercial feasibility of the proposed solution.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.