Proof of Location

By the end of last January we launched a new website were ready to announce and introduce the work being done on the FOAM Proof of Location protocol, one with features that could be fault tolerant, independent, open and permission less, accountable and incentivized. This post explains the need for Proof of Location, the vulnerabilities of GPS and how Low Power Wide Area Network radios can play a role. Since publishing we have seen a number of blockchain projects in the location space emerge, all focused on the glaring Web 2.0 issues in location services.

Spatial Index Visualizer & Beta

In February we revealed the technology stack of the Spatial Index Visualizer, a general purpose visual blockchain explorer. The Spatial Index can serve as the front-end for any decentralized application that needs to visualize smart contracts on a map.

By late February a private beta of the Spatial Index was opened to the FOAM community, which was made public later in the Spring. The beta is currently live on the Rinkeby test net and can be accessed at beta.foam.space We learned a lot from this beta and were able to optimize the back end to ultimately power the FOAM Map main net application. The beta also has a very slick integration with the uPort application for self sovereign identity, points can be added and biometrically signed on the iOS application. Thank you to everyone who participated!

Around this time we also announced that FOAM had joined the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance, was expanding to have desk space at Full Node in Berlin, joined MOBI, the mobility alliance, as well as released the FOAM promotional video, which visually articulates Proof of Location and the resulting accurate location verification data along with a video interview series with our team and an overview of future use cases.