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Questions and Answers about licenses, listing and sensor availability

Questions and Answers about licenses, listing and sensor availability

In this article you will find all the answers that our CEO, Claudio Parrinello, gave in the AMA session regarding the new license system, our token listing, sensor availability and much more.

  1. Can you tell us more about the new business model based on licenses?

We have been looking for the best way to ensure that anybody willing to join PlanetWatch in any country of the world, could do this as fast and as cheaply as possible. We think that the best way forward is to split the hardware part of the equipment and related cost from the software one. Based on this, we have decided to let people buy their PlanetWatch-approved sensor from any local or online reseller, retailer or from the manufacturer while, on the other hand, we will cover the costs related to sensor onboarding, network software and blockchain transactions via our licenses.

2. What about people who currently own the devices bought through Planet Watch? Do we have a perpetual license?

Since we don’t like to change things retroactively in any way, we’ve decided that whoever bought a sensor directly from PlanetWatch, will have a perpetual license for that sensor. To be clear, the license is attached to the device, not to the person or the Algorand account. So, if you own a device that you bought from us, you’ll get a free license for as long as the device lasts.

  1. Are the licenses tied to the device or the account?

All licenses (not just the perpetual ones) are tied to the devices. In the future we’ll try to remove further friction from the system by making licenses transferable from one device to another (within the same Type), but for the time being we have to keep it simple (and fraud-free for all users) so licenses are attached to the devices.

  1. Where can we find approved devices and where can we buy them?

By testing new devices and talking to several manufacturers, we’re working to ensure that in the future there will always be an adequate supply of approved sensors available and that you will get the best possible prices.

As you know, we were able to negotiate a discount from the maker of Atmotube PRO, which is available worldwide. Currently we are working to make Type 1 and Type 3 devices available soon.

Some Type 1 devices will certainly be available starting in June. For Type 3, we’re testing one device which looks very promising, so I’m also hoping that it will be available before the end of June.

For Type 2, we’re evaluating a number of options so I will not commit to next month yet but we’re working on it.

5. When is the listing going to be held?

We have some great news!

Before the end of this week we’ll be able to disclose where the Planet will be listed first, because the platform will make a public announcement of our listing. Once this happens, there will be an announcement of the opening of  Planet deposits, so those of you who want to trade Planets will be able to join the platform, deposit funds or Planets and get ready for trading.

6. Why should you buy Planets?

In our ecosystem there are both corporate and consumer players. Thanks to PlanetWatchers we build a big data set and we, as PlanetWatch, transform it into a product which can be of interest to corporate and local governments among others.

From a corporate point of view, buying Planets is a requirement to access our Premium data services. They will pay in Planet and a fraction of that income will come back into the accounts of those who own the sensors which stream the data in the first place (you can learn more about it in the White Paper).

The value of the Planet is backed by the value of the data that we build together.

From a Planetwatcher point of view, after the listing you will be able either to trade Planets or to convert them into PlanetWatch products and services, e.g. home appliances (such as air purifiers), licenses to connect further sensors and perhaps in the future other goods including deli foods.

7. Do pixel rules also apply to Type 4 sensors (Atmotube PRO)? And what happens when multiple sensors are based on the same pixel?

Type 4 sensors performance and rewards are not tied to pixel.

Pixels are relevant for Type 1 and Type 2 sensors, which are placed outdoors in a fixed location.

The goal of our project is to create an optimal set of air quality data. For outdoor data, there is an optimal distribution of sensors, so we want to cover as much as possible all high populated areas based on that optimal distribution. If the sensor is based in some pixel and somebody else comes along and put the sensor in the same pixel, if you have been there first and you’ve been streaming data on a regular basis, you are lilkely to have a sensor score which makes you the lead sensor in that pixel so you’ll earn more than the other owner. If, however, your sensor starts to lose streams or no longer sends data, your sensor reputation score will decrease and if it becomes lower than the other person’s score, you might lose lead status and then your rewards will drop.

For Type 1 sensors, only one sensor works out as a leader in the pixel and any other sensor is a backup sensor

For Type 2 sensors, the first five sensors in a pixel are all considered leaders and earn the same and whoever comes next is a backup sensor.

The whole system is meant to incentivize stable sensor performance and even distribution of sensors.

Please refer to our White Paper for details.

8. How can we see the Atmotube PROs on the map? 

At the moment, Atmotube PROs are not displayed on the map because the initial release of the map was focusing on Type 1 and Type 2 sensors. It is a bit tricky to mix data from these sensors with Type 4 data, because the latter is a wearable device which moves and there are many more variables which can affect the data. However, we are working to refine our analysis of data from Type 4 devices so that they become more reliable and we can use the data better.

In the meantime, we are about to release a new version of the map, where all the sensors connected to PlanetWatch (Type 1, 2, 3 and 4) will be to some extent represented in terms of densities. Of course, for privacy reason we will never disclose the exact location of any sensor.

9. Can we have multiple Atmotube PROs relaying data back to PlanetWatch and earning us Planet tokens?

The spirit of the project is to gather USEFUL data, so if you put two identical sensors next to each other, that isn’t useful, because they would have the same readings and would be redundant. The general rule is that you cannot “farm”, that isn’t allowed and if we find out, you might be disqualified.

It’s ok, for example, to have sensors in the same area, like if you have a sensor and your neighbor owns a sensor as well, but if you put two sensors in your house that are monitoring the same air, it is not allowed. However, owning an outdoor sensor, as well as a wearable one, will let you get the most accurate information about the air you breathe in your life.

So, please, don’t put two sensors of the same type in the same place, that would not make sense for us.

10. Will you release a Roadmap?

We’re working on it. We have a very ambitious roadmap and we’ll be spelling it out as soon as possible. We are a startup which was born 17 months ago and as soon as we were born the pandemic broke out, but I think we’ve been delivering on the key milestones of the project. We have posted already over 50 million blockchain transactions, we have a very strong support from Algorand and very good feedback from the community and we’ll be listed very soon.

Watch over our Planet and stay tuned for more announcements coming soon!

20 thoughts on “Questions and Answers about licenses, listing and sensor availability”

  1. If I purchase my Awair Element sensor in the US together with an appropriate license and I’m going to move to live in another country (Ukraine, Eastern Europe, which is not on the list of allowed countries for this type of sensor), will I be able to receive the planets using my sensor there?

    1. Hi, the license works everywhere.
      If your country is not stated in the allowed countries, we suggest you to contact the manufacturer or to not purchase the license.

    2. Hi, the license works everywhere.
      If your country is not stated in the allowed countries, we suggest you to contact the manufacturer or to not purchase the license.

  2. Dear Sir/Madam,

    Will the reward decrease if I have both type 1 and type 2 sensor in the same pixel/same house?

  3. Thank you for the quick response. I assume this applies also if I have type 1, type 3 and type 4 sensor in the same house. Is that correct?

    Also, from my understanding after I red the white paper, to provide optimal data, one is allowed to have type 1 and five type 2 sensors in the same pixel. Did I understand this correctly?

  4. hi can i have 2 type 4 in the same house seperate rooms with a seperate type 4 license for each will they both still earn regurlar rewards

    1. Hi, you can only to have:
      – 1 AWAIR Element and 1 Atmotube PRO if the Atmotube PRO travels in the day and they are not in the same location more 70% of the time;
      – 2 Atmotube PROs if one of the two travels in the day and they are not in the same location more 70% of the time

  5. Hi, is it alright if i put multiple sensonrs into multiple houses? For example i put 1 type 4 where i live and one type 4 where part of my family lives, is that considered farming or is it fine?

    1. Hi, you can own different Types of sensors in the same household or in different households.
      What is not allowed, is to own more sensors of the same Type in the same household.

      1. I dont think you answered my question, is it allowed to own multiple type 3/4 sensonrs in one account but have them in different locations (households)?

        1. This is the exact answer i seek too. Can i have the same sensor type in my house and have another sensor of the exact same type in a family members house several miles away, thus gathering different relevant information while being under the same account?

          1. Hi,
            Yes, you can deploy sensors of the same Type as long as they are not in the same location.

  6. What happens when my license end? Can I buy another one and activate it to the same sensor? And can there be type 3 and type 4 in the same pixel?

    1. Hi, yes you can do it. Yes, the Tiers and Pixels rules do not apply to Type 4. You can own different Types of sensors in the same household, what it is not allowed is to have more sensors of the same Type in the same household.

      1. Thanks for the answer. What if I place one sensor (3/4) to my friends house, will the sensor work even though I am not close with my mobile (not bluetooth connection)?

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