Since our ICO we’ve been hard at work getting our software applications ready for market as well as kicking off our hardware production as we look to connect the unconnected.

We currently have Alpha-versions of both our chat and wallet apps available for download on the Google Play Store. We’re continuing to iterate and improve these so please do download and test them if you’re an Android user. We’re also in the process of developing the same apps for the Apple tribe, we hope to have these ready soon.

Building hardware infrastructure which integrates with our communication and wallet apps is a key part of our strategy as we see this as one of the most efficient ways to help us scale quickly and efficiently in a wide-range of environments. We also believe that the tokenization system that will be introduced through our MeshEx range-extenders is a great way to start empowering our community to have more control of their data and finances.

So, please read our roundup below to get an idea of what’s been going down in BlockMesh HQ!

MeshEx Keyring Booster Prototype:

We’ve made significant progress getting our MeshEx Keyring Booster prototype ready for testing. The BlockMesh team has put hundreds of hours into the design and production of the components. We focused on keeping the unit as small as possible while maintaining a level of performance we’re proud of.

Custom PCB board

Our PCB board designs are finalized and the exterior case is almost ready for manufacturing submission. This should allow us to create prototypes for the next phase of testing within a couple weeks.

MVP test deadline: 31 May 2018

Long Range Mesh Extender (Boosters) Router Tests:

We’ve received two routers from our mesh partners, Serval Projects, for testing. The MeshEx Long Range Boosters create a functional test network for us to trial our chat and wallet app features. The Boosters use the same unlicensed radio frequency to transmit data over a large range, namely a few miles/kilometres.

Our goal with the test network is to send the first completely offline message over 1km in an urban area in Mauritius. With the hardware in our possession, we can fast-track some of the upcoming issues we might have with our own devices and even IOT hardware. Our lead developer Paul is trying to enable this device to connect to the internet and create a gateway to enable mesh networks around the world, synchronously. This is a part of our future goals, but hey, you can’t blame us for giving it a go now can you 😋

Software Development:

To help us move forward while we develop the physical prototype it’s in our interest to proceed with as much software development as possible. We are able to do this with various hardware options currently in the market for IOT applications. This will save time in the software phase of our hardware once ready.

In April, we released a short video showing the potential for a standard IOT device to transmit data, we also built a test app on Android to transmit from one device to another via two IOT devices. We’re currently building the ability for our Alpha offline chat app to send messages via these IoT devices and we expect this milestone to be reached within the next two weeks. This is a crucial turning point in BlockMesh’s rollout plan as it will allow us to distribute hardware to willing community members who want to help create the first mesh networks. We’ve also begun development of custom firmware that will later define the BlockMesh portal and platform parameters for the IOT industry to develop and use.