Walmart to Use Blockchain For Its Delivery Drones

The American multinational retailing giant, Walmart, has filed a patent application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a new Blockchain-based delivery management system that would use drones.

According to the patent application filed last week, Walmart plans to use Blockchain technology to track, notify and verify delivery drones and the packages that they bring.

“Package tracking by blockchain may include elements including but not limited to location, supply chain transition, authentication of the courier and customer, ambient temperature of the container, temperature of the product if available, acceptable thresholds for ambient temperature of the product, package contents placed in the container system (products & goods), or a combination thereof,” stated the application. 

Walmart has already shown its rising interest in using Blockchain technology. In January, Walmart announced the testing of new blockchain technology for tracking and tracing pork in China and produce in US stores.

Logical tandem: Blockchain and drones

A San Francisco-based technology company, Chronicled, was the first to unveil its system of machine-to machine cooperation intermediated by Blockchain technology.

As we reported, using such a drone registered to the Blockchain a merchant can make a fast and secure delivery of any physical object, product, or machine to a customer's home and the door will be able to open automatically. The identity chip within the drone, manufactured by Silicon Labs and running Chronicled custom firmware, is based on the Ethereum blockchain and protects a private key that enables the chip to cryptographically sign random challenges, which is the basis for the blockchain authentication.