A transport monitoring system for cultural relics protection based on blockchain and internet of things

• Published in: Journal of cultural heritage 2021-07, Vol.50, p.106-114
• Main Authors: Zhang, Jingwen, Guo, Meiting, Li, Biyan, Lu, Ruimin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Blockchain; Internet of things (IoT); Museum, Cultural relic; Transportation
• ISSN: 1296-2074; 1778-3674
• DOI: 10.1016/j.culher.2021.05.007

Cultural relic transport is quite an essential area of work for realizing cooperation among museums. It involves key functional areas such as object distribution and knowledge sharing. At the same time, the transportation process of cultural relics is dynamic and requires special prevention mechanisms to avoid risks. A real-time management system for the transport of cultural relics using Internet of Things terminals and blockchain technology is provided in this study. In the system, real-time sensing of physical and environmental changes has been achieved, such as those in speed, temperature, relative humidity, GPS location, triaxial acceleration and video images, for effective data feedback and dynamic remote management. Furthermore, a sample application of the system is detailed as it was used to record the changes during the transport of cultural relics from Changsha Museum to the Museum of Nanyue King of the Western Han dynasty. It is shown that no damage happened to the cultural relics and the transport was relatively safe. Effective management of the vehicle, the drivers, and the museum staff were successfully achieved. Overall, it is indicated that the system can be beneficial for tracking the transportation process and preventing untoward incidents during the process.