Digital Twins based on Distributed Ledger Technology for Perishable Products Logistic

Abstract

Different from other operations, in perishable products logistics, transported or stored items must be constantly monitored, due to quality degradation and contamination risks. In addition, actors in this field need to keep the traceability of the products. With the growing demand for fresher and better quality food, for example, besides the increase in production, the efficiency of logistics must be improved to reduce waste. Moreover, with the pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, this topic has become even more relevant, due to the need to transport large volumes of vaccines, with different and strict handling restrictions. Collection and analysis of information on product trac king and tracing and stakeholder demands can improve supply chain efficiency provi ding important insights to managers. Technological solutions, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Digital Twin (DT), and Distributed Led ger Technology (DLT), have been proposed for monitoring and tracking products and analyzing data collected while supporting decision-making. Although these technologies have supported a better visualization of data on products, there is still a problem with transparency of the logistic operation data, undermining trust and consequent collaboration and oordination between the actors in the chain. This work brings a new architecture for DLT-based DTs to support the implementation of solutions to meet the requirements of perishable products logistics. The main contribution of the propo sed architecture is the introduction of logistical resources DTs as a driver for tracking and tracing perishable products and supporting collaboration, coordination, commercialization, and optimization of logistics services. The proposal guides the creation of cheap and user-friendly solutions for real-time monitoring and immutable traceability of products with strict transport and storage rules, helping actors to make better decisions while providing and requesting logistics services. The proposal was applied in two use cases: in the scenario of vaccine applications in remote locations and in the scenario of cold logistical services hiring and inspection. The proofs-of-concept show the technical feasibility of the proposed solution and help to identify challenges and research opportunities.