Imagine maps that do more than just show directions—they provide real-time information about traffic, crowds, and parking spots. This is possible thanks to AI and sensor technology advancements like cameras and LIDARs, making maps smarter and more dynamic. These innovations can help cities plan better, manage transportation, and let us explore places virtually.

However, big tech companies like Google control most of this data, making it expensive and limiting access. NATIX Network aims to change that by using billions of existing cameras in smartphones, drones, and cars to collect real-time data privately and efficiently. Their decentralized map, DDMap, ensures everyone can access valuable geospatial data, creating a fairer and more innovative geospatial data economy.

What is NATIX Network?

Source: NATIX Network website

NATIX Network is an innovative platform that leverages AI technology and a decentralized network of cameras to collect and share real-time geospatial data. By utilizing the billions of cameras already used worldwide—found in smartphones, drones, cars, and IP cameras—NATIX transforms them into smart sensors that gather valuable data while ensuring privacy compliance. This data is then used to create a Decentralized Dynamic Map (DDMap), providing up-to-date information on traffic conditions, crowd sizes, parking availability, and more.

The Mission and Vision of Natix Network

NATIX Network’s mission is to democratize geospatial data access, breaking big tech companies’ monopolistic hold. By enabling individuals, businesses, and governments to gather and utilize their mapping data, NATIX aims to foster innovation, reduce costs, and create a new, fairer geospatial data economy powered by the “Internet of Cameras.”

NATIX Network envisions a world where dynamic, real-time geospatial data is freely accessible to all, driving the development of smarter cities and more efficient transportation systems. By decentralizing the collection and distribution of mapping data, NATIX aspires to empower communities and enhance everyday life through transparent and collaborative technology.

The Team Behind NATIX Network

NATIX Network is driven by a team of seasoned experts in technology and innovation. Dr. Alireza Ghods, CEO and co-founder, is leading the team, with over a decade of experience in IoT, mapping, and autonomous driving, and previously an IoT Europe lead and blockchain co-lead at PwC. Lorenz Muck, the Chief Product Officer and co-founder, has more than ten years of virtual reality and computer vision expertise, having developed and launched over 20 applications across various platforms. Omid Mogharian, the Chief Technology Officer and co-founder brings 15 years of software development and architecture experience, and he also co-led blockchain initiatives at PwC. Together, they are steering NATIX Network towards groundbreaking innovations in decentralized geospatial data and AI.

The Technology Behind Natix Network

NATIX Vision SDK (Privacy-Preserving)

When collecting and processing data from cameras, privacy is a big concern. Most current methods don’t protect people’s privacy because they use raw, non-anonymized images. NATIX addresses this issue with its Vision SDK, a special software development kit. This kit allows developers to build privacy-compliant applications, or “mApplets,” with just a few lines of code. These mApplets can perform tasks like detecting objects, zoning areas, and tracking object movements. The best part is, that they only work with anonymized data, so people’s privacy is protected throughout the process.

Vision Deploy Middleware

To make sure these mApplets run smoothly on devices like smartphones and cameras, NATIX uses Vision Deploy Middleware. This technology creates a mini-computer system at the edge of the network, which means it processes data right on the device rather than sending it to a distant server. This system handles incoming anonymized images from cameras, extracts useful data, and manages the device’s computing resources, like the CPU and GPU. Vision Deploy Middleware is designed to work efficiently on edge and mobile devices, making setup and management straightforward. Additionally, it has an Over the Air (OTA) device management feature, ensuring that all devices stay secure and up-to-date.

How Does the Natix Network Work?

The NATIX Network is designed to efficiently crowdsource live data and create a digital twin of our environments. This process involves three key steps: data collection, data validation, and data monetization.

Data Collection

The NATIX Network employs advanced AI software to analyze video streams in real time. This AI detects a wide range of events and transforms the visual information into plain text, ensuring that the data collected is free of personally identifiable information. This approach protects privacy and allows for the collection of valuable, actionable data without compromising individual security.

Data Validation

To ensure the reliability and trustworthiness of the collected data, the NATIX Network uses multiple decentralized data validation techniques. These techniques confirm the data’s accuracy and authenticity, ensuring that only valid and useful information is added to the network. This robust validation process is essential for maintaining the integrity of the data and ensuring its usability for various applications.

Data Monetization

Once validated, the data is monetized through the NATIX Network’s marketplace. The value of the data is determined by market demand, which ensures that it is priced fairly and competitively. Camera owners who contribute to the network are rewarded for their data, creating an incentive for participation and fostering a sustainable data economy. This marketplace model not only benefits the data providers but also supports a wide range of real-time applications that rely on accurate and up-to-date information.

Natix Network Ecosystem

The NATIX Network relies on contributions from its participants, cutting-edge AI computing, and robust support technologies. Below are the key elements of this ecosystem:

Privacy-compliant Metadata Mining

The NATIX Network utilizes advanced computer vision AI to transform video streams into privacy-compliant metadata. This process is built on two main pillars:

• Edge Computing Architecture: Instead of sending raw images to centralized data centers, NATIX processes data locally on devices like cameras and smartphones. This approach protects privacy and saves bandwidth by sharing only numeric data, such as the number of detected cars and their locations.
• Anonymized Detection: Personal information such as faces, skin color, and license plates are permanently removed from the images. The AI models work on anonymized data, ensuring no personal information is shared.

This technology enables any camera to become a smart, privacy-compliant data source that shares only essential numeric information.

Natix System Overview

The NATIX Network operates with four main participants, each playing a crucial role in maintaining the DDMap:

• Governance Participants: These stakeholders hold $NATIX tokens and participate in network governance, ensuring the network’s long-term success.
• Detectors: Using the NATIX Mobile App or NATIX-enabled smart cameras, they collect real-time metadata from physical spaces.
• xNodes: These nodes verify and transmit the metadata collected by the Detectors to the Data Consumers.
• Data Consumers: These are users and companies that subscribe to and pay for the real-time data generated by the network.

Real-time Geospatial Data

Real-time geospatial data is valuable because it is time-stamped, location-tagged, and verified by multiple sources. Ensuring the accuracy, relevance, and freshness of this data is vital. The NATIX Network uses several computational proofs to validate this data and prevent inaccurate information from entering the system.

Data Validation

To maintain the integrity of the data, the NATIX Network employs different validation principles. These validation mechanisms ensure that the data on the NATIX Network is reliable and accurate:

• Proof of Location: Using decentralized location verification solutions ensures the data originates from the claimed location.
• Proof of Live Stream: This confirms that the analyzed video stream is live and not pre-recorded. A challenge-response mechanism ensures real-time analysis by requiring the Detector to perform random actions on camera.
• Proof of Computation: This ensures the AI models extract data function correctly. Zero-knowledge proof schemes allow verification without revealing the AI model’s details.

Network Infrastructure Setup

The NATIX Network will operate as a layer 3 network on top of existing layer 1 and layer 2 blockchain infrastructures. This setup uses blockchain technology to govern the activities of all participants within the network. Key elements include:

• xNodes: These nodes validate the data generated by cameras and transfer it to Data Consumers.
• iLands NFTs: These smart contracts manage land tax and profit sharing within the network.
• As the network grows, governance will increasingly move on-chain, allowing the community to approve applications and deployment regions.

NATIX Network’s Market Entry Products

The Smartphone Strategy

Source: NATIX whitepaper

NATIX Network is tapping into the immense potential of smartphones to build a decentralized infrastructure network (DePIN). With over 7 billion smartphones worldwide, including 1.5 billion equipped with powerful AI-accelerated chips and various sensors, smartphones are ideal for this purpose. DePINs work like Uber or Airbnb in digital and physical infrastructure, using blockchain to crowdsource and tokenize resources. This approach is scalable, as joining the network is as simple as installing an app. Unlike specialized hardware, this method requires no upfront costs, making it highly accessible.

Smartphones are loaded with sensors that can capture and process real-time data efficiently. With AI chips built into modern devices, they can handle complex tasks right on the device, without needing external support. This makes smartphones perfect for NATIX Network’s initial strategy, which avoids the high costs and logistical issues of dedicated hardware. Using smartphone cameras for data collection, NATIX creates a real-time, digital map of the world that’s easy for everyone to access.

NATIX Drive& app

NATIX Drive& is the flagship product of NATIX Network. It’s an AI-based driver assistant app that operates in a decentralized network. Drive& reward users for capturing data while driving, making each trip safer and more rewarding. The app is free and easy to use—just mount your smartphone on the dashboard. Drive& turn your phone’s camera into a smart sensor, detecting road obstacles, traffic conditions, and more.

Users earn in-app currencies for contributing data, which can be exchanged for rewards. This year, 2024, NATIX introduces its token, allowing users to earn real money. Drive& is privacy-conscious, using on-device AI to minimize data use, consuming only about 1 GB per month for heavy users—far less than traditional dashcams.

Drive& app also offers driver-assistance features like dashcam capabilities, speed trap alerts, and parking availability indicators.

The app uses gamification to enhance the experience, with leaderboards, missions, and rewards. This approach encourages participation and builds a community of users contributing to and benefiting from the network.

NATIX-Enabled Smart Cameras

Besides smartphones, NATIX also supports smart cameras running its software. These cameras offer “set-and-forget” functionality and can be customized or built using NATIX’s guidelines. Managed via the NATIX Device Manager, these cameras seamlessly integrate into the network.

NATIX Map Interface

The data collected by NATIX’s network is available through the NATIX Map Interface, designed for enterprise users. It allows them to search, filter, and visualize real-time data, with API integration for easy access. For example, a utility company can subscribe to pothole data and receive updates to help with route planning and service management. The interface supports permanent data storage solutions like IPFS and S3, with more options planned for the future.

Understanding the NATIX Network Economy

Source: NATIX Network blog

The NATIX Network economy is built on three key pillars: rewarding infrastructure and data providers with tokens, incentivizing people to hold onto these tokens, and distributing significant value to active contributors.

The native token of the NATIX Network, $NATIX, is a cryptographically secure fungible protocol token designed for governance and utility within the network. As a multi-utility token, $NATIX facilitates decentralized exchanges and interactions without intermediaries. It is intended solely for use within the NATIX Network, providing participants with a secure payment and settlement mode.

$NATIX does not represent ownership or investment in NATIX GmbH or its affiliates and is not meant for public exchange. It incentivizes contributions and participation within the ecosystem, ensuring users are rewarded fairly for their efforts.

In-App $NATIX

Within the Drive& app, in-app $NATIX functions as a premium currency, rewarding users who contribute geospatial data. It can be converted into $NATIX tokens and used for various in-app features:

• Access to premium Drive& features like parking and safety alerts.
• Purchases in the exclusive marketplace.
• Participation in gamification features like boosters.
• Membership advantages such as airdrop access and discounts.

On-Chain $NATIX Token

The $NATIX token offers several critical functionalities within the ecosystem:

• xNodes: These nodes curate data and ensure network integrity. They earn $NATIX based on their performance and are essential for network security.
• Staking and Governance: Token holders can stake their tokens to gain voting power and participate in network decisions.
• In-App Utilities: $NATIX tokens can be converted for use within the Drive& app, offering users the benefits of the in-app $NATIX.

NATIX Token Distribution

Source: NATIX blog

With a total supply of 100 billion, the distribution of $NATIX tokens is designed to maintain a vibrant and sustainable ecosystem

• Team and Advisors (20%): This is subjected to a 9-month cliff and a 30-month vesting period.
• Incentivization Pool (37%): This is released slowly over the project’s lifetime based on usage.
• DEX/CEX Liquidity (8%): This is fully unlocked at TGE.
• Early Backers (24.9%): 10% of these tokens will be unlocked at TGE, with the rest vested over 20 months after a 6-month cliff.
• Public Sale (5%): 25% of these tokens will be unlocked at TGE, with the rest vested over 6 months.
• Reserve (5.1%): 25% of these tokens will be unlocked at TGE, with the rest vested over 48 months.

Rewards for NATIX Network Participants

The $NATIX ecosystem ensures that users are fairly compensated for their contributions. Participants are rewarded in $NATIX tokens for actively engaging with and supporting the network, aligning their efforts with its growth and success.

Natix Network’s Strategic Funding Rounds

Seed Round

In April 2023, NATIX Network secured a $3.5 million seed round from prominent venture capital firms and blockchain players. The round was led by Blockchange Ventures and included investors such as CVVC, Mulana Capital, Blockarm Capital, XYO, and NectoLabs. This initial funding allowed NATIX to kickstart its mission of revolutionizing the decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN) sector.

Strategic Funding Round

NATIX achieved a significant milestone by completing a $4.6 million strategic funding round in April 2024. The primary purpose of this round was to power NATIX’s efforts ahead of the $NATIX token launch.

The funding was spearheaded by Borderless Capital, a major player in DePIN project funding, and co-led by Tioga Capital, an investment management firm focused on blockchain innovation. NATIX’s innovative approach to harnessing real-time geospatial data through its flagship product, “Drive&,” garnered widespread recognition and confidence from the Web3 community.

With these funds, NATIX Network aims to continue growing the network and ecosystem, and partner with mapping and geospatial data giants for business-to-business (B2B) monetization while leveraging Solana’s efficiency and scalability for infrastructure development and maintenance.

Conclusion

NATIX Network is pioneering a technological revolution, integrating cutting-edge AI and decentralized geospatial data collection to build a user-centric platform. By leveraging everyday devices like smartphones and smart cameras, NATIX makes advanced mapping and data collection accessible, ensuring privacy and security at every step.

The impact of NATIX Network on the industry is set to be transformative. By simplifying data collection processes and offering real-time, privacy-compliant solutions, NATIX is enhancing user engagement and setting new standards for what a decentralized geospatial data platform can achieve.