DataUnion Foundation Builds Proof-of-Concept DataUnion To Capture a Time Capsule of the Experimental Zone Event in Amsterdam
Hosted by Sovereign Nature Initiative (SNI) and in partnership with De Ceuvel, this event welcomed attendees in Amsterdam to a unique in-person celebration of ecology, art, theory, and emerging technologies.
Both Mark & Robin took to the stage to discuss how we can all build better systems to ensure a thriving, healthier planet, by using blockchain technology. They also dove deeper into the principles of open data and how collectively, the world can use DataUnions to harness the value of data to empower communities to create positive change both locally and globally.
To give the attendees a taste of the future, the team behind DataUnion Foundation *created a proof-of-concept DataUnion, NatureUnion, tailored for the event.
The app’s main purpose was to capture real-time data from the actions that attendees took throughout the event and store all contributed data into a time capsule — to keep as a memory of the event and as the genesis dataset to kick off future projects.
The premise of the app was simple: earn rewards by contributing to a collective dataset that in turn will give those that contributed an airdropped data NFT, plus exclusive access to future events and community-based rewards — a first of its kind activity.
Inside the mobile app, users could either contribute a handshake, photo, video or sound clip — giving them points that brought them closer to receiving their representative data NFT with each completed action.
The events are then shown at the booth of DataUnion on a monitor — the app monitors the NatureUnion server and can show what happened where but does not give up the information and privacy of the contributors.
This simple concept illustrates how valuable data can be, and how, by working together, in real-time, the dataset as a whole can become worth more, generating greater rewards for all contributors in the process — demonstrating how data unions can create impact while rewarding participants.
“It was an absolute pleasure meeting such incredible people — in person too! Everyone I met had an awesome passion for finding solutions to making our planet safer, more self-sustainable and healthier, something we at DataUnion Foundation strongly support and strive to build toward.“ — Mark Siebert, Co-Founder, DataUnion Foundation
How It All Began
NatureUnion, however, started a few months back — when it landed a top 3 finish at SNI’s winter hackathon. The idea behind NatureUnion is to find ways to connect the vast amount of data that researchers, scientists, institutions and academics gather about our planet. From plant life growth, wildlife preservation, satellite images, temperature readings, weather reports to nature acoustic recordings — all of this data provides insights.
However, most of the gathered insights are either fragmented, siloed or unequally distributed across the globe to various institutions that require them– stifling innovation in the sector, shutting out passionate entrepreneurs who want to make a positive impact on society and directing all the generated value from the data insights into the hands of a select few.
This is how the current data economy works.
There is a better approach to how we can collect, annotate and verify data, and that’s through the use — and power — of data unions.
“Thank you to SNI & De Ceuvel for creating such a powerhouse of an event — excited to see how the space continues to evolve!” — Robin Lehmann, Co-Founder, DataUnion Foundation
What is a DataUnion?
At its core, a DataUnion is a collective, whether businesses or individuals, that work together in collecting, annotating and verifying data to create cleaner and more efficient data sets that in turn, create more sophisticated AI models that form those datasets.
The goals of a DataUnion are the following:
Make datasets more accessible to those that want to build data services & products.
Generate value from gathered data insights that are distributed equitably across all contributors — unlocking the potential for universal data income.
Give power back to local communities so they can be empowered to make change within their region without having to rely on Big Tech companies, or the government, as the middleman.
Our mantra: Together, We Can Do More is at the core of our philosophy. We believe that if we build together with the public, we can achieve more. By being open and transparent with our vision, we can combine forces with enthusiastic individuals who also want to make a difference and build towards our shared goal faster. If this sounds like you, we would love to hear from you; consider connecting with our co-founders on Discord.
Next Steps
After a successful event, the team will continue developing NatureUnion to include more bounty missions and campaigns that both current and future users can begin participating in and start gaining rewards from. They will also continue to build out the genesis dataset and invite more collaboration from strategic partnerships to continue educating and onboarding the general public into the dataunion space.
Together, we can create an open, fair data economy where everyone who participates wins, including our planet.
Let’s make it happen.
Join the community
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*Unfortunately, the application was not developed on time for the event but was highly supported by the crowd as everyone loved the idea. Currently, it is close to being finished and we will provide updates on where & how you can download the app to try for yourself soon!
