Please describe your proposed solution

Proposed Solution: Cardinal – Mapping Cardano's Decentralized Physical Infrastructure

Understanding the Problem: The Cardano ecosystem is rapidly growing, featuring numerous decentralized projects with physical components (DePIN) scattered globally. However, accessing and visualizing this decentralized physical infrastructure network's geolocation data remains challenging, hindering efficient utilization and strategic planning. This gap reduces the potential synergies between different Cardano projects and limits community engagement and investment opportunities.

Our Approach: Cardinal tackles this problem by creating a dynamic, interactive map that aggregates publicly accessible geolocation data from DePIN projects such as World Mobile Token (WMT) and Iagon (IAG). By centralizing this data, we facilitate easier access, enabling stakeholders to understand the geographical spread and density of infrastructure. Our solution is unique because it not only consolidates data in a user-friendly visual format but also updates in real-time, reflecting changes and new additions to the ecosystem.

Engagement: Our project directly engages with other Cardano DePIN projects, requiring their collaboration to ensure data accuracy and timeliness. Additionally, by providing a clear visualization of Cardano's infrastructure, we engage community members, developers, and investors, empowering them to make informed decisions based on the distribution of physical resources.

Impact Demonstration: We will measure our impact through user engagement metrics, the accuracy of the mapping data, and feedback from DePIN projects and community users. Success will be demonstrated by increased collaboration among Cardano projects and enhanced strategic deployment of resources, contributing to a more interconnected and robust ecosystem.

Importance to Cardano: Cardinal not only enhances visibility for existing projects within Cardano but also serves as a crucial tool for future planning and development of the ecosystem. By making DePIN data easily accessible and comprehensible, we support the growth and scalability of the entire network, ensuring that Cardano remains at the forefront of innovative blockchain solutions.

Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community

Value to the Community: Cardinal will streamline access to geolocation data of Cardano's decentralized physical infrastructure network (DePIN), enhancing the ecosystem's operational efficiency and clarity. By providing an intuitive map as the first key visualization of DePIN projects, we facilitate easier strategic planning and foster collaboration, which can attract investment and aid in decision-making processes for stakeholders.

Measuring Impact:

• Usage Metrics: We'll monitor the uptake of the Cardinal tool by measuring the number of users and the frequency of their interactions with the map.
• Feedback Collection: Feedback from users will be collected periodically to gauge satisfaction and to identify areas for improvement.

Sharing Outputs and Opportunities:

• Project Updates: We will provide regular updates about the development and enhancements of the Cardinal tool through Cardano community forums and newsletters.
• Engagement Limited to Usage: Instead of broad collaborations, we will focus on ensuring that the tool meets the needs of the users by improving functionality based on user feedback.

Sustainable Value: Cardinal aims to improve the visibility of physical assets, support better governance and growth of the ecosystem, ultimately benefiting current and future stakeholders.

What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

Team Background:

• Our team consists of two experienced Cardano Stake Pool Operators, one with a programming background and the other specializing in infrastructure. We're effectively applying our expertise to integrate GIS and mapping technologies into our platform.

Project Progress:

• We have already successfully integrated two datasets of geolocation data from World Mobile and Iagon onto a global map, showcasing our technical proficiency and effective data handling.

Publishing and Accountability:

• Website Launch: We are preparing to publish this interactive map on our dedicated website, making it accessible to the Cardano community and enhancing ecosystem connectivity.
• Financial Transparency: Transparent budget management will be upheld, with expenditures closely linked to project milestones for clear accountability.

Fund Management:

• Dedicated Oversight: One team member will specifically manage finances, ensuring that all funds are used appropriately and reported transparently.
• Regular Updates: We will provide the community with regular updates, focusing on both project milestones and financial status, through our website and community engagements.

What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?

Milestone 1: Completed - Initial Proof of Concept

• Architecture design (tech stack, database schema, core development)
• API integration & Database import (WMT & Iagon)
• Initial web-based visualizations - 2D map, data widgets, dashboard

Milestone 2: Milestone 2 is the integration of Cardano into the mapping and visualizations, making it in-line with Iagon and WMT as DePIN projects.

Milestone Outputs:

• Cardano nodes made available on Cardinal Map
• Cardano statistics added as widgets on Cardinal Dashboard

Acceptance Criteria:

Milestone 2 is accepted once the above outputs are validated / tested during QA and delivered to production.

Evidence of Milestone Completion:

Evidence of completion is deployment to production.

Milestone 3: Milestone 3 is the containerization of the Cardinal web application to ensure scalability as the demand / usage grows over time by the community.

Milestone Outputs:

• Docker container / Docker compose configurations.

Acceptance Criteria:

Milestone 3 is accepted when Cardinal can be tested while running within a Docker container.

Final Milestone: The final milestone is made up of two final deliverables:

• Announcement of the availability of the Cardinal public web application
• The preparation and release of the Cardinal postgresql database to the community as an open-source component.

Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

Keith Watt - Engineer - 25 years of software engineering experience, including 10 years of experience in the financial industry working with companies such as Goldman Sachs, UBS, JP Morgan, and others. <https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-w-0772b721a/>

Chad Giardina - Operations/Management - 25 years of IT infrastructure experience. Consults and supports mission critical IT Solutions on a global scale. <https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadgiardina/>

Both have run BBHMM - Blockchain Better Have My Money Stake Pool since the ITN.

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Currently ADA is at $0.453

Development Resources:

• Total Development Hours: 100 hours
• Hourly Rate: $150.00
• ADA Cost for Development: ₳33,113

Already Used Development Time:

• Hours Already Used: 50 hours

Remaining Development Time:

• Hours Needed to Complete Development: 50 hours

Hosting Web and DB Stack:

• Monthly Hosting Cost: $100
• ADA Cost for Hosting: 221 ADA per month
• Total ADA for 1 Year of Hosting: ₳2,649

Total Project Cost:

• Total ADA for Project: ₳35,762

Our project depends on Cardano DePIN projects that publish their data, as this is essential for accurate mapping and visualization. Additionally, we rely on global digital mapping sources to ensure comprehensive and precise geographic information system (GIS) integration.

How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

Value for Money Justification for Cardinal Project

Strategic Importance:

• Cardinal enhances visibility and usability within the Cardano ecosystem by mapping decentralized physical infrastructure network. This supports strategic decision-making and investment, fostering growth and collaboration within the ecosystem.

Cost Rationalization:

Development Costs:

• Senior Developer Involvement: The development cost is ₳32,608.70 for 100 hours, at a rate of $150 per hour. This rate is competitive and reflects the industry standard for senior developers with specialized technical skills.
• Justification of Hourly Rate: The rate is justified by the complexity of integrating sophisticated data with Cardano technologies, necessitating senior-level expertise to ensure high-quality and efficient project delivery.
• Value Added: Employing senior developers ensures that the project meets high standards of accuracy, security, and scalability, significantly enhancing the utility and robustness of the Cardinal tool within the Cardano ecosystem.

Hosting Costs:

• Efficient Use of Resources: Hosting costs amount to ₳2,608.70 per year, calculated at an ADA equivalent rate of 217.39 ADA per month. This cost includes not only the server space but also ensures high availability and security, critical for the reliability and trustworthiness of the mapping service.
• Market Comparison: This rate is competitive when compared to typical hosting services for similar web applications, providing good value for functionalities such as real-time data updates and high user access loads.

Overall Financial Efficiency:

• Proportional Costs: The total projected cost of ₳35,217.39 represents a balanced investment when considering the potential for increased engagement and network growth facilitated by the Cardinal project.
• Long-term Benefits: The tool is expected to drive broader participation in the Cardano ecosystem by making it easier for new and existing projects to understand and leverage the decentralized infrastructure. This is likely to attract further investments and innovations, amplifying the initial expenditure's value.

Transparency and Accountability:

• We are committed to maintaining transparency with the Cardano community regarding all expenditures. Regular updates and detailed reports will be provided to ensure that stakeholders are informed and can see the tangible benefits derived from their investment.