Blockchain_and_IoT-Based_Cognitive_Edge_Framework_for_Sharing_Economy_Services_in_a_Smart_City

🌾 Nyakupfuya (Plain Language Summary)

Imagine our city is like a big village where people often share things – maybe borrowing a plough, a tractor, or even a special tool for a short time. Usually, you'd ask a trusted neighbor or the headman to help arrange things, making sure everyone gets their item back and pays fairly. This paper talks about a new way to do this sharing, but for a whole city, using technology. Think of all the small devices everywhere, like smart cameras on buses or sensors on shared bicycles – these are like the eyes and ears of the city, collecting information. These devices are called 'IoT' (Internet of Things). Now, instead of sending all that information far away to a big central office, this system uses 'fog nodes' which are like smaller, local offices spread throughout the city. These fog nodes are like the village elders who can quickly understand what's happening on the ground. They use 'AI' (Artificial Intelligence) – which is like a very smart assistant – to figure out important events from the collected information. For example, if a shared bicycle is left in the wrong place, the AI can notice it. All the important agreements and transactions, like who borrowed what and when, are recorded on something called a 'Blockchain'. This is like a special, unchangeable village ledger or a digital stamp that everyone can trust. Once something is written on the Blockchain, it can't be erased or changed, making it very secure. This means you don't need one single person or company in charge to make sure the sharing is fair; the technology itself ensures fairness. The system also keeps your personal information private, like keeping your family secrets safe, even when you are sharing services. So, what does this mean for us? It means that sharing services in our towns and cities can become much more secure, private, and efficient. Imagine being able to easily and safely rent a tool from someone across town, or share resources during a busy event like a festival, knowing that the system is fair and your information is protected. This technology can help our cities run more smoothly, like a well-managed co-op, making sure everyone benefits from shared resources.