This week was our first “face-to-face” encounter with our project partner, Jim. He seems extremely motivated and enthusiastic, which is fantastic. Jim is a big proponent of blockchain technology and thinks it’s going to be utilized across many different industries, and I agree. Jim has found a niche market that can use this technology and really show it off. Thankfully we got a lot of clarification out of the way with our first meeting, and our fourth member has been confirmed to be alive and well.
Jim’s project is actually fairly straightforward and simple: create an application that can scan QR-codes on wine bottles, reach into the blockchain for data pertaining to the bottle, and display it to the user. Wineries would upload the data they want displayed. Consumers could get more information about the product they want to buy. It’s simple and usable.
The real fun comes in with making each bottle an individual QR-code. This allows the calls to the blockchain to also collect data from the application while it is in use. The most useful application being location tracking the scan and comparing it to any scan made on the same bottle within a set amount of time. If the bottle was scanned in multiple states within an hour, then the wine would be deemed fraudulent and any consumer that scanned that QR-code in the future would be warned.
Furthermore, with tracking where and when these scans are taking place, then it would be a simple matter to compile this data and provide it back to the wineries so they can judge where their product is selling best. More information with the wine makers will help to support their business, and the information provided to the consumer has the opportunity to allow for direct-to-consumer interactions from the wineries. While the product seems simple, it could have some profound and lasting effects on the industry. With being able to track potential fraud, as well as helping cultivate the relationship between creator and consumer, I cannot wait to see how this project shapes up.
