The Silencio Network, in collaboration with the Peaq blockchain ecosystem, has deployed over 35,000 smartphones as noise sensors to address global noise pollution. This initiative involves community members contributing noise pollution data and receiving tokenized rewards for their participation.
Silencio Network’s noise sensors are active in 176 countries, with plans to expand to one million devices by the next year. The project aims to create “Web3 citizen science,” allowing individuals to actively participate in addressing real-world challenges through decentralized data collection.
The co-founders of Silencio, Thomas and Theo Messerer, were inspired by their upbringing with a hearing-impaired parent and their experience in deploying Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePINs) in Europe. They recognized the potential of Web3 communities to address noise pollution and improve lives by democratizing valuable data.
Silencio Network’s Smartphone Noise Sensors Combat Global Noise Pollution
To date, Silencio has collected over a billion data points from its network of smartphones, with significant contributions from Europe, North America, and Southeast Asia. While urban areas tend to have higher noise levels than rural areas, noise pollution is more acute in developing regions.
The project emphasizes user privacy, collecting decibel level data without capturing actual audio content. Location tracking is optional and requires explicit user consent, with anonymized and encrypted data stored within the app.
This initiative demonstrates how Web3 technology can leverage physical devices, like smartphones, to address real-world challenges, such as noise pollution, while also ensuring user privacy and data protection.