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The Silencio network operates over 35,000 smartphones that function as noise sensors through the Peaq Network blockchain ecosystem, aiming to address the challenge of global noise pollution.
On September 19, the Silencio Network revealed its partnership with Peaq as it seeks to broaden its network to incorporate additional noise sensor devices. Silencio indicates that the noise sensors within its network span 176 countries and expect to operate one million devices by 2024.
The initiative refers to its efforts as “Web3 citizen science,” where community participants earn tokenized rewards for supplying “hyper-local” noise pollution information. Cointelegraph engaged with Silencio’s co-founders, brothers Thomas and Theo Messerer, to discuss the rationale behind tokenizing sound data.
Thomas mentioned that the concept originated over two decades ago. Having grown up with a hearing-impaired parent made them acutely aware of noise pollution in various environments, coupled with their later experiences in deploying Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePINs) across Europe.
“We were fascinated by the idea of crowd-sourcing geodata in a decentralized manner. Motivated by the goal of democratizing valuable data and enhancing lives, we recognized the significant potential of Web3 communities to tackle real-world issues at a scale unattainable by Web2.”
Theo informed Cointelegraph that Silencio has amassed over a billion data points from the more than 35,000 devices utilized in the Silencio network. He noted that the majority of contributions have originated from Europe, North America, and Southeast Asia.
Silencio noise pollution map with data points collected from smartphones around the world. Source: Silencio
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He pointed to Silencio’s explorer maps, which illustrate average noise level differences from one country to another. He mentioned that trends may evolve as additional data is gathered and analyzed:
“The general trends you’ll observe are as follows: urban regions tend to be noisier than rural areas, and the challenge of noise pollution is more pronounced in developing nations.”
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“It’s crucial to emphasize that we are still in the initial phases,” he stated, noting that the company commenced deploying its technology on smartphones in February. “It’s too early to accurately assess noise levels due to the current limitations in data density and diversity.”
In addition to personal motivations for focusing on noise pollution data, hearing loss is recognized as one of the most widespread global health issues, according to the World Health Organization.
Till Wendler, co-founder of Peaq, underscored that “noise pollution incurs trillions in costs to global GDP annually” and that utilizing Web3 mechanisms, along with “citizen science to crowdsource the data, will be essential in addressing this crisis.”
“This data will also empower businesses such as hotels, restaurants, and real estate firms to make better-informed decisions regarding location selection.”
When questioned about how user privacy is considered, Theo explained that a “variety of measures” are in place to safeguard users.
“We are measuring decibel levels rather than the actual audio content. Decibel levels quantify the intensity of sound,” he clarified.
“They are logarithmic and can represent volumes ranging from nearly imperceptible sounds to loud and potentially harmful noise levels.”
Given that location is intrinsically linked to the project, he mentioned that location tracking is an opt-in feature that requires “explicit” consent from users. Furthermore, all data collected from users in a specific area is anonymized and encrypted within the app.
Silencio’s approach to addressing noise pollution is among numerous new initiatives in the Web3 sector that engage with physical objects, such as smartphones, charging stations, or vehicles, to foster efficiency and create a connection to the rapidly evolving digital landscape.
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