A Smart and Privacy-Preserving Logistics System Based on IoT and Blockchain Technologies

The smart city concept serves the well-being of the urban population in order to improve quality of life in different life aspects including logistic services. However, the continuous growth of logistics volume combined with information opaqueness and process complexity led to challenging issues related to managing the services and information of logistics. Hence, efficient management of logistics activities with traceability and condition monitoring capabilities is required to ensure quality and safe delivery. It is necessary also to ensure the accuracy and dependability of distribution data. In this context, this paper proposes a smart and privacy-preserving logistics system for high-price goods distribution. An intelligent parcel (iParcel) containing piezoresistive sensors is developed to pack delivered goods during shipping process for violation detection such as severe fall or theft. Moreover, smart contracts based on blockchain is also developed for automatic approval and payment with the consideration of distributing the shipping information between legitimate logistics parties only. A zero-knowledge proof is used to conceal blockchain address and prove the authentication. iParcels are automatically tracked and traced in which upon violation occurrence, the contract is cancelled, and the payment is refunded. The transaction fee per party is reasonable for high-price products in the pay of guarantee successful shipment.