A Blockchain-Based Trust Model for Multi-Platoon Networks: Reliable Data Sharing and Consensus via Edge-Cloud Systems

Vehicle platooning as a new driving mode effectively improves traffic management efficiency. In multi-platoon vehicular networks, timely data sharing and consensus are critical for cooperative driving and safety. However, security and privacy concerns in vehicular networks hinder reliable data sharing and consensus across multiple platoons. In addition, platoon-based driving introduces a hierarchical trust structure with different vehicle roles, which complicates trust-building among platoons and increases data sharing risks. To address these issues, we propose a blockchain-based trust model for multi-platoon networks, leveraging edge-cloud computing systems to achieve secure data sharing, consensus and storage. The model incorporates multiple trust evaluation factors in platoon scenario and employs the Support Vector Regression (SVR) algorithm for accurate trust calculation. Based on the trust model, we present an optimized Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance (PBFT) consensus mechanism to improve both reliability and efficiency of the consensus. Experiment results show that our proposed model makes accurate and comprehensive trust evaluation and facilitates reliable data consensus in multi-platoon networks.