California Crabs Tracked by Helium Network: A Use Case You Can Eat

In a normal year, Jameson Buffmire, a San Francisco-based computer executive, loses about ten crab pots while capturing the crustaceans off the coast of California. Each pot might cost up to $300. He's been attempting to figure out how to trace them down so he can figure out whether they're being taken or stolen.

"Losing thousands of dollars in equipment and crab is really irritating," Buffmire said.

The Pacific Ocean might be a difficult region to follow a ship. "You can't rely on neighboring mobile phones, as Apple does with [its] AirTags," Buffmire said in an interview with CoinDesk. "Even a cellular GPS tracker wouldn't have coverage more than two miles off shore."

As a result, Buffmire had to think outside the box. He switched to the Helium network in December, a blockchain-based network of wireless nodes with its own coin, HNT. He's currently employing a Browan Industrial Tracker with Helium's Long Range Wireless Network (LoRaWAN).

"It's been a complete game changer," Buffmire remarked.

Using the Helium-powered trackers, he said he was able to recover three crab pots worth over $1,000. "It seems fantastic to be able to verify the location of something so far away and in such a diverse setting," Buffmire remarked.

Helium is a blockchain network that uses a decentralized worldwide network of Internet hotspots, as most crypto investors are aware. Nova Labs said last month that it had raised $200 million in a Series D fundraising round headed by Tiger Global, with participation from Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Deutsche Telekom (DTEGY), and others. The current round of investment has increased the company's worth to $1.2 billion.

Growth of helium hotspots

According to Helium's website, there are presently 746,296 hotspots throughout the world. These devices serve as network miners and wireless access points, first to give long-range connection to IoT devices and, in the long run, to link everything to the internet through a decentralized wireless network like 5G.

Some clients, on the other hand, use the network to power items such as sensors and tracking devices. Coffee shops may utilize the network to be warned when they're running out on cold brew, retailers can measure foot traffic, and flood sensors can monitor air and water quality. By connecting a LoRaWAN sensor to the Helium network, this may be accomplished.

Buffmire's day job is as a vice president of CalChip Connect, a distributor of IoT network equipment. They include Helium Network-compatible products (such as miners) as well as other IoT solutions. Buffmire had worked with the Helium team on developer initiatives while working for Orange, a large mobile network provider, however this was before Helium announced its crypto-focused approach.He bought some hotspots because he wanted to understand more about Helium's decentralized, incentive-based network.

For the crab-tracking experiment, Buffmire picked a Browan tracker (which his firm offers) because it was easy to conceal within a floating buoy and the tracker is tough enough to be kept out in the water for up to seven days. The Browan tracker is a general-purpose (and waterproof) GPS tracker for a variety of applications, including bicycles, vehicles, and pets.

"I was able to conceal five of them in yellow float buoys with a little elbow grease and a lot of Gorilla Glue," Buffmire said.

Using the Helium network for tracking objects

The trackers rely on Helium hotspots for LoRaWAN communication. Helium hotspots are tiny devices that plug into a standard electrical outlet and connect to an existing Internet connection, allowing IoT devices can communicate over great distances.

The Float buoy with the tracker embedded (Jameson Buffmire)

Buffmire was able to render the GPS trackers for a modest charge using a mapping program called TrackingForLess. Before spreading the crab pots, he took a network tester out on a boat to test the coverage. According to Buffmire, the coverage was amazing, as he was able to connect to over six separate hotspots on land while at sea. This was around a 40-kilometer journey.

Buffmire sent the crab traps out to sea in December, and within 12 hours, he observed one of them was moving quickly.

Crab pots on the TrackingForLess app (Jameson Buffmire)

Buffmire stated, "I pulled up the app and watched as half of my cherished crab pots were taken up and relocated to the Berkeley Marina." As a result, he dialed 911. Because the incident occurred on sea, the San Francisco Police Department claimed no authority.

Instead, Buffmire was brought out into the harbor by Berkeley police to figure out what had happened.

Buffmire was able to zoom in on the specific boat the crab pots were currently on using the tracking software.

"The police alerted the boat's owners that I was looking for my missing crab pots, and I received a really kind call from a California Department of Fish and Wildlife officer, "Buffmire said.

Despite Buffmire's meticulous attention to the trackers, the officer claimed that he had failed to properly label the buoys with a fishing license number, and that they were in breach of a new law prohibiting the use of flags to protect migrating whales.

According to Buffmire, the officer was more interested in how he had located Buffmire in the first place than writing a ticket for his lack of licensure. Buffmire answered that it was the tracking gadget.

They planned to meet in San Francisco to hand over the confiscated goods.

The police arrived late ""So I dialed his number to see where he was," Buffmire explained. "I learned I could easily check up where he was while leaving a voicemail while leaving a voicemail."

The officer and his crew were on their way to the Farallon Islands, which are located about 28 miles west of San Francisco in open water.

"Clearly, the trackers were performing admirably," Buffmire added.

Buffmire claimed they eventually met up, and the officer urged him to turn his crab-pot-tracker-buoy-on-the-helium-network concept into a working product.

"That hasn't occurred yet," Buffmire remarked, "but I've had a fantastic lot of crab."

Buffmire claims he didn't receive a citation in the end.

"It was a fantastic experience," she says "He recalled something. "There was no citation, and the officer was pleasant and interested in the technology. It was actually fairly pleasant. He assisted me in getting the pots back to my car and showed me their (amazing) boat."