BitDrop (or ShadyDeliveryNetwork), a non-robotic courier system

[ParidigmShift]

You do realize I was joking? Physical locks are incredibly weak.

I thought this whole thread was a joke. Using Faraday cages as boxes to prevent GPS tracking, tracing using accelerometers and dead reckoning, and you were joking about the locks? 

[Nefario]

Calling ruby, php, python and javascript developers we're starting development.Get your name on this project, make a place for yourself in history.

PM me your experience and anything else you think important.

[Nefario]

Perhaps your delivery network could help here: http://www.dbune.com/news/world/6097-donkeys-take-over-from-dsl-as-syria-shuts-down-internet.html

Probably could, and tie this in with da27ce sneakernet bitcoin....

[Anonymous]

Even bitmunchies could use this http://forum.bitcoin.org/index.php?topic=9423.new#new

Setup food distribution points or drivers who will then deliver the stuff to the customers.

I know if I could be paid in bitcoins I would deliver to the closest city which is an hour and a half from here and is the largest concentration of bitcoiners in Aus.

Do a run once a week or pay extra for same day delivery = win.

Im in the transport industry 

[bearbones]

I would love it if we could set something like this up!  I don't think that I have nearly as much business as some of the other services that might be interested, though...

[speeder]

Cool idea.

I would be a runner If proved profitable enough, I might even learn parkour and etc... XD

But just taking the packages in my commute would be fine already.

[seef]

I could work as a runner I like that Idea! Screw postal service!

[ctoon6]

I think you should start by making a google map where we can log in an put down our zipcode, then you can see if such a thing is even possible before you make an entire site.

[Nefario]

I think you should start by making a google map where we can log in an put down our zipcode, then you can see if such a thing is even possible before you make an entire site.

Oh it's possible.

We're going to be kicking this into the next grear tomorrow by throwing more resources at it. To top it off I've figured out something of a technical issue that was in the way.

I'll also be selling shares on GLBSE for the project, this is going to be big.

Nefario.

[ctoon6]

another suggestion, a usd to btc and btc to usd converter.

instead of paying fees to the man, you could meet up with someone that had the item you wanted. or proxy buy

for example, i wanted to get some btc, it could help me find a seller in my area that i can meet face to face with, or dead drop it if they/I wanted. you could charge a nominal fee of like 1-10$ for helping to find a trader.

[cuddlefish]

another suggestion, a usd to btc and btc to usd converter.

instead of paying fees to the man, you could meet up with someone that had the item you wanted. or proxy buy

for example, i wanted to get some btc, it could help me find a seller in my area that i can meet face to face with, or dead drop it if they/I wanted. you could charge a nominal fee of like 1-10$ for helping to find a trader.

Oh, wow, that's an awesome idea! Someone should totally do that!

[Nefario]

another suggestion, a usd to btc and btc to usd converter.

instead of paying fees to the man, you could meet up with someone that had the item you wanted. or proxy buy

for example, i wanted to get some btc, it could help me find a seller in my area that i can meet face to face with, or dead drop it if they/I wanted. you could charge a nominal fee of like 1-10$ for helping to find a trader.

Oh, wow, that's an awesome idea! Someone should totally do that!

Someone should, but I don't think that will really work out though, it's a nice idea, just not practical 

[seef]

Any news?

[Nefario]

Any news?

Starting to put a lot of resources behind the development of this, nothing usable yet though.

Nefario.

[cuddlefish]

Calling ruby, php, python and javascript developers we're starting development.Get your name on this project, make a place for yourself in history.

PM me your experience and anything else you think important.

I like the basic idea however I'd reconsider the choice of technology and centralized nature. If you want a robust delivery network that is resilient to attacks it has to be a peer-to-peer system and then C++/Java/Python/.NET and similar non-web technologies are the way to go for nodes.

But I'm thinking that bitcoin merchants don't really want a system that delivers parcels from their building to their customers. What they really want is for products to be delivered to the consumers as cheap and easy as possible. That is why Amazon distribution centers are so popular. So how about a Peer-to-Peer Distribution Network?

Any entrepreneur with storage space can add a distribution center to the distribution network. Nodes then re-calculate optimal distribution of products in response to network events, past product distribution behavior, and prices. Such network events can for instance be addition or removal of storage space at a distribution center, addition or removal of a distribution center, addition of a product, creation of a parcel, delivery of a parcel, and undeliverable parcel. The distribution network can be modeled with a (distributed) graph data structure.

The parcel is created as close as possible to the customer for faster delivery. Products are sourced from the closest possible distribution centers. Distribution centers are replenished according to predicted demand. Customers that live in areas with regular demand will likely experience very fast delivery even if the bitcoin merchant is on another continent. Since demand in an area would be visible, a good infrastructure would likely develop - jobs are created. Distribution centers and couriers are competing which will keep prices low in areas with high demand (eg. cities of a reasonble size).

Investigating an optimal product distribution algorithm would be an interesting computer science problem.

Of course distribution centers and couriers need to have some sort of trust rating. It would be easy to track whom lost a parcel with digital signatures and decrease the rating which would result in the network sending less business their way in the future. In fact a rule could be made that the value of the parcel must be paid to a Bitcoin address (owned by the merchant) before the network again will send new parcels their way. Distribution centers and couriers can choose not to accept parcels with a too high value and insurrance companies would probably be created to cover their loss if there is a need.

The merchant will digitally sign the delivery order and the customer will digitally sign for the reception of the parcel on arrival.

Distribution centers can be small (apartment based) or large (dedicated buildings) and couriers can use bicycles or trucks.

I would definitely support such a project.

Casper

It's a CDN!

[kokjo]

Absolutely awesome! Any news on the progress?

yes! i am working on designing it. we will have a beta working in a week or two.

[YoYa]

A suggestion, This network could emulate normal delivery networks in terms of using mobile devices for Track and Trace, A simple android app would allow the use of 2D barcodes to print the public key on to the package, as previously discussed this would allow no knowledge of the final destination but for point to point. This application would have to be designed to ensure anonymity and security such that no one on the network could be compromised, but this would allow both receiver and sender to be aware where their item is on the network at any time, you could also include a real course geolocation as well such that it's a big enough area not to be trackable, but this could be optional as well.

Even though this is an anonymous network, the need for trust means that an audit trail has to exist, but having an audit trail is not mutually exclusive to anonymity if implemented correctly. This could be a way of avoiding transfer disputes where, where runner b disputes that runner a ever even dropped the package off.

Something to think about.

[elements]

I also love the idea of Bitdrop and I also have some suggestions:

1.) Let the nodes decide whether they only do "legal" deliveries or "shady" ones

2.) Include an option that enables nodes to entry different routes to specific dates (like a calendar)
this should also include reoccuring routes (like s. o. takes the same route to work every businessday, school kids, retired people who everyday take the same walk, etc.).

3.) Consider expanding the drop to be a person
This way people could travel very cheaply and if the network is optimized very quickly

Example:
S. o. wants to go from Airport CGN, Paris, France to Hamburg, Germany mainstation
a) a node who just took his spouse to the airport collects the traveller at the airport and takes him to the mainstation in Paris by car
b) Another node who has a ticket which works for two people (at least in Europe there are many tickets like this) and has a free spot takes the traveller on the train to Cologne in Germany with him
c) In Cologne a truckdriver takes the traveller to a gas station next to the highway near Hamburg
d) someone who works in Hamburg but lives in the suburbs picks up the traveller at the gas station (which the node comes along everyday on his way to work) and takes the traveller into the city.

This could also be combined with severel levels of comfort: e. g. only by car, cheapest, fastest, etc.

4.) for things: include weight, seize and fragility

5.) include secondary nodes

for example:
let's say node B is a school kid leaving his home every weekday at 8 a. m. an arrives at school at 8.45 a.m.
the previous node A must arrive early enough to give B the package. Should A miss B's departure the network has to reroute B to a secondary node replacing B and so forth...


Well, I really hope you really bring this project to life - that would be so awesome.

When I heard about it the first time I just thought how much energy everyone "wastes" everyday which could be capitalized upon and how much this project could do for reallocating resources more efficently (not only in terms of individual business but also in terms of economy and ecology as a whole).
 
Good luck!!!
 

[ctoon6]

solution to ensure that packages are delivered

the sender that wants the package delivered generates a bunch of keys to give to each of the nodes, the end receiver who is getting the package has all the keys as well, each node does not know the others key, and for every delivery they use a different key. when one node drop the package off to another, they combine their keys when they meet up and submit the result to the sender and the receiver.

packages should contain a gps, water sensor, force detector and a wireless transmitter that sends a different confirmation for the combined result of the 2 keys. this insures that the package has not been replaced and has not been damaged. all of that could be combined into a small device.

most of that stuff should be optional, but if the sender and/or receiver is super paranoid, then they should have that available.

i cant think of a way to know if a package has been tampered with.

[kokjo]

solution to ensure that packages are delivered

the sender that wants the package delivered generates a bunch of keys to give to each of the nodes, the end receiver who is getting the package has all the keys as well, each node does not know the others key, and for every delivery they use a different key. when one node drop the package off to another, they combine their keys when they meet up and submit the result to the sender and the receiver.

packages should contain a gps, water sensor, force detector and a wireless transmitter that sends a different confirmation for the combined result of the 2 keys. this insures that the package has not been replaced and has not been damaged. all of that could be combined into a small device.

most of that stuff should be optional, but if the sender and/or receiver is super paranoid, then they should have that available.

i cant think of a way to know if a package has been tampered with.

we have though of this, it will just be a simple system. where a runner, signs with his pgp key that he is responsible for this package, and gives it to the previous runner, who submits it to the server. when the next runner takes over the responsibility, the first runner loses it.
you could also add insurance to the system, require that the runner haves some frozen bitcoins on the server, which first gets released, when he provides proof that the net runner has responsibility of the package.