Digital Product Passport
ICT & Smart Industry and IoT
Ioan-Nicolae Popa
Ilian Stoev
Project description
The goal of this project was to research the topic of a "DPP", and create our own instance of a DPP for a bicycle comprised of two wheels and a frame.
A Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a secure and standardized digital record of a physical product's identity, composition, history, and performance over time.
It provides consumers with verified information about the products they purchase, enabling them to make informed decisions on how best to use or dispose of these items in an environmentally friendly way.
For this project, we aimed to promote smart and sustainable lifecycle management of customer goods. Using blockchain technology and Smart Contracts, the project aimed to give a solution for proof of ownership for the owner of the bicycle, as well as promoting recycling through authorized parties.
Context
In a world increasingly focused on sustainability and responsible consumption, the project embarked on a mission to revolutionize the lifecycle management of consumer goods, specifically targeting the ubiquitous bicycle. Recognizing the need for transparency and accountability in product information, the team delved into the concept of a Digital Product Passport (DPP). This innovative solution serves as a secure and standardized digital repository, encapsulating a bicycle's identity, composition, history, and performance.
The overarching goal was to empower consumers with verified information, enabling them to make environmentally conscious choices when purchasing, using, and ultimately disposing of their products. By employing cutting-edge blockchain technology and Smart Contracts, the project sought to provide bicycle owners with irrefutable proof of ownership. This not only enhances the security of their investment but also aligns with the broader movement towards decentralized and tamper-proof record-keeping.
Crucially, the DPP doesn't merely cater to individual ownership concerns. It extends its impact by promoting recycling through authorized parties. By seamlessly integrating information on a bicycle's entire lifecycle, the project aimed to encourage sustainable practices, fostering a culture where responsible ownership and disposal choices contribute to a healthier planet. In essence, the project represents a forward-looking initiative at the intersection of technology and environmental stewardship, illustrating the transformative potential of digital solutions in shaping a more sustainable future.
Results
The project yielded significant outcomes that not only validate the conceptual necessity of a Digital Product Passport (DPP) but also showcase tangible implementations, providing valuable insights into the potential transformation of the industry.
First and foremost, the analysis of the current industry landscape surrounding DPPs allowed us to identify critical gaps and inefficiencies in traditional product information management. This understanding, grounded in thorough research of existing and planned implementations, provided a solid foundation for our project's direction. The identified shortcomings highlighted the pressing need for a solution that offers a secure, standardized, and transparent digital record – a gap that our project aimed to fill.
The creation of comprehensive Use Cases played a pivotal role in shaping the project's scope and functionality. By outlining scenarios for the Creation, Update, Recycling, and payment handling within the context of bicycle suppliers, customers, and recycling instances, we translated theoretical concepts into practical, real-world applications. This not only provided clarity to our development process but also served as a robust framework for testing and validation.
The implementation of Smart Contracts using Solidity was a key technical achievement. These Smart Contracts were designed to execute the behavior outlined in the Use Cases, ensuring a seamless and automated process. By leveraging blockchain technology, we successfully established a tamper-proof and decentralized proof of ownership for bicycle owners, a pivotal outcome that significantly enhances the security and authenticity of product ownership.
The creation of a Decentralized Web Application further demonstrated the project's practicality. This application, utilizing Web3 functionality, allowed users to interact with and visualize the data stored on the blockchain through an intuitive interface. This not only showcased the transparency and accessibility of the information but also validated the feasibility of integrating blockchain solutions into user-friendly applications.
In terms of validation, the project underwent rigorous testing against the outlined Use Cases, ensuring that the Smart Contracts operated as intended. The positive results from these validation efforts provide confidence in the reliability and functionality of the implemented system.
The project's value is further underscored by its alignment with the evolving trend of decentralized technologies and sustainability. By combining blockchain's security and transparency with the promotion of responsible product lifecycle management, our project positions itself as a pioneering effort in the industry. The outcomes, ranging from tamper-proof ownership records to streamlined recycling processes, contribute substantively to a future where digital solutions play a central role in fostering sustainable and informed consumer choices.
About the project group
We are a team of two students with different roots but intersected by an inclination for technology in the context of industrial automation and supply chain management. Ioan Popa is a 4th year ICT & Software student, with a minor in Adaptive Robotics. Ilian Stoev is an 3rd year ICT & Technology student. Both of us are keen of learning more about process automation and data handling in the context of large supply lines, thus our project also reflects this ambition. We have been working on this project in the context of the Smart industry advanced semester. The project started at the end of October 2023, and will culminate by the end of the January 2024 semester. The project has taken shape over a span of 6 sprints. We worked in an Agile SCRUM way, while keeping a close connection with our stakeholders and mentor.
