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PLANT GANG Open Grant Application #690

Closed PlantBoiGit closed 2 years ago

PlantBoiGit commented 2 years ago

Open Grant Proposal: PLANT GANG

PLANT GANG:

Proposal Category: metaverse Proposer: PlantBoiGit

(Optional) Technical Sponsor: TkKonstantin | Protocol Labs and HQ Han | Protocol Labs

Do you agree to open source all work you do on behalf of this RFP and dual-license under MIT, APACHE2, or GPL licenses?: "Yes"

Project Description

We’re building the herbarium of the metaverse, a scientifically accurate collection of 3D OBJ NFT assets (plant specimens) which can be collected, stored and accessed on the blockchain in an immutable way. A core pillar of the DeSci movement.

Our mission is to create a new era for open academic research not limited by social, economical or geographic backgrounds while supporting local communities and environmental ecosystems through regenerative economies.

Currently, scientific plant specimens are 2D pressings stored physically in herbariums, restricting access for scientists and researchers outside of that location. While these records are being digitised, they ultimately remain in their 2D form.

PLANT GANG however is using photogrammetry technology to create photorealistic 3D models, minted and stored on the blockchain, making them unalterable and immortal, unlike physical specimens. Additionally, unlike traditional specimens, our models show details of morphology and colouration, capturing the plant specimen as it would be in its natural environment. This is explained in our short 3 min video here or you can read about it in more detail here.

Alongside this, we’re building a decentralised community of researchers, explorers, 3D modellers and academics powered by a native $PLANT token. With natural environments and biodiversity under threat, this token will act as a collaborative tool to support and protect the habitats in which our plant species are collected. This will occur through the hiring of local botanists guiding specimen collection and the funding of regional conservation projects, crucially allowing our digital assets to protect their physical counterparts.

Value

This project is important for the filecoin ecosystem because there has never before been scientifically accurate NFTs stored on-chain with expansive metadata from such a remote part of the world.

Alongside this, through the sale of these NFTs, PLANT GANG and the $PLANT token will help bring value to the local communities living in the habitats from which we capture our models. Crucially, this income can help counteract the need for local workers to work environmentally damaging jobs, such as monoculture farming, and facilitate roles in environmental stewardship creating more sustainable and protected ecosystems.

If we get this right, and are able to build our virtual herbarium, we will create a virtuous circle where supporters collect and purchase our PLANT GANG models, while supporting regenerative economies, protecting the planet and ensuring we’re recording nature in our fight against climate change.

The largest risks in executing this project, ultimately have already been overcome. Primarily, capturing the scans for plant specimens at La Selva (the world's leading research station for tropical biology) in the Costa Rican rainforest over 4 weeks, although only a pilot has demonstrated the intricate challenges of capturing the unique form and colouration of every plant.

Whether it's the fact they only bloom for a day, move or wilt during the image capturing process, it has shown the team how we could begin to build more automated systems for efficiently capturing these NFTs.

Now our next steps are to create the world's first virtual herbarium platform. Importantly, this will allow supporters of our mission to purchase and view their NFT specimens, whilst scientific researchers can explore and manipulate specimens and associated scientific metadata for research and education purposes.

Deliverables

The deliverables is a virtual herbarium, an immersive metaverse space which can house collections of plant specimens. While these can individually be owned by collectors, they’re housed together.

This space will have a front end experience, where users can manipulate and explore the 3D models and examine their associated scientific metadata, as well as a backend database securely storing both the model and accompanying scientific data. These NFTs can be referenced in scientific papers, open research and used in virtual worlds.

Technical deliverables:

Development Roadmap

Milestones:

1. Initial Landing page (3D model showcase):

This page will work as a reference to what is being built as well as a demonstration of the data and assets that have been collected and will be used in our NFT collection.

This page will be the entry point of users to our platform, out of which they will be redirected to our dApp for the NFT related operations (mint, showcase, browse)

This page will have the following sections :

Landing section: the initial section of the page where the user first arrives. It will have our social links at the top and in the centre the words PLANT GANG in our uniquely designed style (see here)

About PLANT GANG: This will be a section in which we explain what PLANT GANG is, what took us to create this project and our mission going forward.

Example Metadata section: it will show a reference to a 3D model and explain a bit more about the scientific metadata that will be visible alongside our models and throughout the collections.

Herbarium of the metaverse (Learn more) Section: a section to dive deeper into the vision of the herbarium we want to create, the goals and the direction of the whole project in general, as well as our roadmap, social links and more information that might provide the end user more context as to what we are building and why.

Technology stack:

For this section of the project we will be using modern web technologies to build a visually interactive platform that shows off the project's key elements, principally our 3D models and scientific metadata.

ReactJS will be the frontend Javascript library used to build the layout and components of the Landing page as well as code the interactive and rendering logic for it.

Typescript, a superset of Javascript will be the language used to code the Landing page.

Figma will be the Design and mockup app used to wireframe and sketch the Design of the Landing page before translating those designs to a page. We have an initial design of this here.

We will use fleek and its continuous integration tools to deploy and host our site on IPFS

2. NFT Launch:

This deliverable encompases everything NFT related and has several parts that interact together to build the whole Herbarium experience.

Technology Stack:

FrontEnd:

The frontend stack of the NFT phase of the project will follow the technologies described earlier for the Landing page but adding a couple more libraries into the mix to achieve our unique virtual herbarium experience

ThreeJS: a web 3D library which we will implement to render manipulatable 3D assets that are retrieved from FileCoin storage

EthersJS: Web3 library that allows interaction with blockchain networks and Smart Contracts in the Frontend, we will use ehtersjs contract interaction methods to retrieve the asset URIs to get their ipfs asset links and show them in the app

Web3Modal: Library that provides seamless connection to different wallets and captures a provider and signer to be used by ethers for interactions (used widely in the web3 space)

BackEnd:

We will build backend services to provide information to our frontend.

NodeJS +ExpressJS: Javascript Engine and framework for backend API development. We will be using this to create our endpoints, we will also be using Typescript on the Backend side

NFT.storage: we will use nft.storage solution for our NFT assets, this will provide a robust layer of decentralized storage for token metadata with an easy implementation route through the NFTUp app

Smart contract:

We will build an ERC721 contract to provide users the ability to mint their 3D model NFT

The contract will implement the ERC721 interface as well as the Ownable OpenZepellin interface to permit sensitive data operations such as withdrawals or fund distribution or uri upgrades.

We will implement a standard mint method with a payable smart contract transaction.

We will use NFTUp app to generate ipfs links for both our assets and our asset metadata jsons using the opensea metadata data structure standards, this way we will avoid development costs around building an api endpoint for token uri and we will leverage the power of Filecoin’s ipfs implementation through their NFTUp app directly in our smart contract.

Because of this URI decision we will implement a method in the contract that can be called by the owner of the contract in which he can modify token URIs and base URIs, this for disaster management as well as quality of life and further utility improvements

NFTdApp:

This will be the platform in which our users mint their NFTs. We will also build sections in which the users can see their owned assets in different render types (artistic and scientific) through the use of the ThreeJS library, also displaying the metadata that goes alongside their 3D asset

The NFT dApp will have the following sections:

Mint page: this is the page users will use to mint their herbarium NFT, users will be able to connect their wallet using the web3modal library and then mint their NFT paying the price for it and interacting with the contract through our implementation of the ethersJS library and our contract ABI

Scientific Collection showcase: A section to show data about the collection as well as showcasing the base (non-artistic) specimen models (using IPFS storage links) and their corresponding scientific metadata which scientists can refer to for research and education purposes

Asset showcase: in this page users will be able to (by collecting their wallet) view and interact with their owned NFT 3D assets with an interactive object model renderer using ThreeJS library to display the asset model of the NFTs they own

Learn more: informational section that will provide more details about the project, roadmap and future utilities and products. This area will also showcase the wider emerging DeSci movement and highlight other projects making traction in this space.

The dApp will be hosted on IPFS using Fleek through a continuous github integration and deployment.

Development Team:

We are anticipating having a team of two Full Stack software Engineers working on all milestones described above. These developers will have relevant experience coding NFT smart contracts and knowledge about minting strategies and token distribution in order to effectively help with that part of the project.

TimeScale and funding for development works:

The estimated effort (in work hours) and amount of funding to spend ( in USD ) for each milestone is as described:

Milestone 1: Initial Landing page :

Design work : 40 | 1000

Frontend markup : 60 | 3000

Frontend 3d model integrations: 30 | 3000

Responsiveness : 30 | 2000

Total : 160 | 9000

Milestone 2: Pilot NFT platform Launch :

Mint page: 40 | 3000

Collection Showcase 50 | 5000

Asset showcase 60 | 6000

Backend 20 | 2000

NFT.Storage integration 20 | 1000

Smart Contract | 40 | 4000

Total: 230 | 21000

Total Budget Requested

Total budget requested: 45K USD (includes ~5% for unexpected costs)

Development work (outlined above): 30K USD

Project maintenance and growth: 12K

While the PLANT GANG team has currently taken no compensation for this project, to ensure its future is sustainable we will use the grant to support key team members in building the future of PLANT GANG.

4 months (3K USD/month) of full-time management of PLANT GANG during this development of the platform. As PlantBoi has been doing up to this point, during the website’s development and launch he will need to manage numerous aspects of the project including:

We still have a strong desire for a long-term collaboration and see FileCoin as an amazing supporter of our initiative. After we successfully deliver on this grant's goals: our PoC virtual herbarium, we would be happy to discuss follow-up grants and collaboration with FileCoin for a 2nd Expedition. We have already established links with an indginous group in Peru where they’re building a medicinal garden in the Amazon. We aim to visit and scan these traditional medicinal plants with assistance from the non-profit Omiaasec, funding this garden development site and hiring local photogrammetry experts and equipment (networked through Celo ambassador to Peru, Sebastian Rodriguez-Larrain). We’re very excited to carry out expeditions like this once our platform is established!

Maintenance and Upgrade Plans

Maintenance:

We will keep the system monitored and in a dynamic scaling setup through cloud services providers to maximize uptime while peaks of traffic.

Future Upgrade Plans:

PLANT GANG API:

A backend server used for retrieval of data from our platform that gives other systems the opportunity to operate, use and reference our data for research or other scientific purposes.

PLANT GANG Token:

Release of the $PLANT token (initial $Plant Landing page, ERC20 smart contract and ERC20 launch).

PLANT GANG DAO:

Governance plans related to NFT and $PLANT ownership, funding allocation, other community based utilities

Team

Team Members

Harry/PlantBoi - Instigator and researcher at PLANT GANG Led project management & data collection on EXPEDITION #1 in Costa Rica. 1st Class Biochemistry graduate, plant obsessor and adventurer, interested in the advancement of DeSci, ReFi and scientific research and education using NFTs and blockchain technology. Champion at DreamDAO. Steve Flanagan - Tech Lead at PLANT GANG 20+ years experience as an adventure sports coach and guide and over a decade producing 3D Visualisation, 360 Film and immersive media for clients like the BBC, MasterCard, Sky and Natural History Museum. Carlos - Lead Developer at PLANT GANG Full Stack Software Engineer with experience in leadership and management roles in a myriad of tech industries, most notably projects involved in media creation, management and delivery, from 3D plots of land that tie to weather metadata for crop evaluation to video messages at scale for Revenue teams. Mark Date - Running rendar.org, NFT lead at PLANT GANG Seedclub cohort 2. Running rendar.org and bringing culture from the streets onto the screen. Marks NFT expertise and immersion in the web3 has onboarded many street artists into NFTs. Jack / Fancy (Advisor) - Web3 Strategy at Protein & Instigator at RADAR Co-founded Protein & RADAR, both decentralised communities at the forefront of web3. Protein is reimagining social impact through the lens of good growth. RADAR is community reimagining collective research processes and funding the future. Fancy also advises global brands entering the web3 landscape, a key stakeholder in SeedClub (SC02) and has written extensively on web3 models for ForeFront. Tim/regenfriend - Co-steward at PLANT GANG Gen Z community strategist, governance and coordination wiz. DreamDAO Governance Lead, developing DAO systems & policies, and Content Lead, establishing content creation processes and platforms. Past Game Design Advisor and QA at Read to Lead, developing educational content and games focused on literacy, SEL, and career skills. ## Team Member LinkedIn Profiles PlantBoi - https://www.linkedin.com/in/harry-fancy-195832202/ Steve Flanagan - https://www.linkedin.com/in/immersive-e/ Mark Date - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-date/ Fancy - https://www.linkedin.com/in/fancy-y-b06477132/ Carlos - https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlosdimatteo/ Tim - https://www.linkedin.com/in/timofei-dort-golts-381bbb229/ ## Team Website https://plant-gang.webflow.io/ ## Relevant Experience Our team has a diverse set of skills and experience, positioning PLANT GANG to launch this novel and ambitious project effectively: PlantBoi’s scientific background (1st Class biochemistry degree) has been crucial for data collection and anchoring this project within the scientific community. Notably, it has allowed PLANT GANG to receive scientific research permits from the Costa Rican government, feature on the DeSci landscape map and share the PLANT GANG vision at DeSci conferences. Carlos has previous experience working with 3D models and scientific data, tracking weather data and manual inputs to measure and evaluate crop status and productivity. Importantly, he also has a keen interest in DeSci, the exciting emerging space in which the PLANT GANG project sits, having worked on the [DeSciWorld](https://desci.world/) a platform, a hub for Science projects that operate through web3 technologies. FANCY, our community advisor, is well poised to thoughtfully guide the growth and development of PLANT GANG in a sustainable manner. Having co-founded the decentralised communities of Protein & RADAR which help reimagine social impact and fund positive futures respectively, FANCY is able to help PLANT GANG fulfill its potential to support regeneration through its scientific NFTs. Steve has over a decade in the 3D modelling and immersive media industry continually involving himself in projects pushing boundaries in the space. From modelling coral reefs with underwater drones to scanning plants in rainforests with PlantBoi, Steve thrives with projects at the edge of the curve of what's possible. Mark’s NFT expertise will be crucial for our successful minting process, and he specifically has experience working with 3D model assets, running [rendar.org](https://www.rendar.org/) which has helped onboard many street artists into web3. Tim's knowledge of governance and coordination will support PLANT GANG's ability to effectively manage its contributors and community as we continue to grow. ## Team code repositories Carlos’ previous projects have been predominantly private repos (see relevant experience section above for relevant previous project information). Further experience includes work as Software Development Lead at YC startup [goodkind](https://goodkind.com/) working on video messaging at scale for Revenue teams and work as a Senior Full Stack Engineer building a myriad of tools around stock alerts for different industries such as retail and events and also NFTs and ethereum transaction tools. See Carlos' github [here](https://github.com/carlosdimatteo) # Additional Information We were recommended to look at the open grants programme after speaking with members of Protocol labs about PLANT GANG, and since then have been very excited about this opportunity to see our vision come to life! Please use plantgangteam@gmail.com for all grant related correspondence We highly recommend you check out this short [video](https://youtu.be/_LF1v7U-DsU) explaining the science behind PLANT GANG! And also our SC05 application video outlining our mission [here](https://youtu.be/k4N1gEqI_4M). Have a stroll through the latest [Deck](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zXqj8kSo5wSor6Ap7aV4pGbbi2FUIBKC/view?usp=sharing) Check out the some artistic NFT renders (sneek peek images of fully rotatable 3D models) and website design mockup [here](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1fV-H_rnGdP75fLVW8MLmDTMdfDCK3YfJ) Below are some low-resolution example models loaded in Sketchfab for easily looking at, these are the basic scientific specimen NFTs but we also have our ‘artistic’ NFT versions (images of these found in the drive folder above): [Galeottia grandiflora](https://sketchfab.com/models/41b28cd935534929bc4d9e6bb7fa7f15) [Monstera tubercolata](https://sketchfab.com/models/a11ea68753874ab0a360ce2ab09d6350) [Heliconia wagneriana](https://sketchfab.com/models/f92be2d87a7c46498467f5354fe3777f) See our twitter [here](https://twitter.com/PLANTGANGxyz) Thank you for taking the time to explore what we're working on at PLANT GANG and we look forward to chatting about it with your team! All the best, Harry (AKA PlantBoi)
PlantBoiGit commented 2 years ago

@tkkonstantin TECH ADVISOR

PlantBoiGit commented 2 years ago

Hey @realChainLife, hope you're doing well! I just wanted to check if there's any updates with our application, or any additional information you require. Thanks, Harry

ErinOCon commented 2 years ago

Hi @PlantBoiGit, thank you for checking in! Can you confirm if you are minting on a platform such as OpenSea or some kind or self minting platform? Also, have you picked an API/web developer yet? If not, nft.storage or web3.storage could be helpful services.

PlantBoiGit commented 2 years ago

Hey @ErinOCon ! So we are using a self-minting platform on our virtual herbarium website, where the models can be viewed and explored with their scientific metadata (but the NFT models will also be able to be viewed on platforms such as Opensea). And yes we're planning on using nft.storage, we discussed this with some members of the Protocol labs team and seemed the perfect fit! The plans for this are briefly laid out above in the 'NFT Launch' section of our application.

Let me know if you need info on anything else, and for more technical questions I can also refer you to our lead developer Carlos.

Thanks!

ErinOCon commented 2 years ago

Thank you @PlantBoiGit! We will circle back with an update by early next week.

ErinOCon commented 2 years ago

Hi @PlantBoiGit, thank you for your patience as we continue our review. We expect to have more information by end of week.

PlantBoiGit commented 2 years ago

Hey @ErinOCon sounds good with us! Let us know if you need any more information, look forward to hearing from you soon.

realChainLife commented 2 years ago

Hi @PlantBoiGit we would like to get an initial PoC built for the platform. Could you kindly rework the proposal to get us to an MVP with a narrow scope, and perhaps lower budget. We'd be happy with a baseline functionality at initial launch (can be a focus on critical platform features) which will provide us useful feedback from the community on utility value, and solution desirability.

PlantBoiGit commented 2 years ago

Hey @realChainLife thank you for looking over our application, we really appreciate your feedback! That sounds good to us, we will rework the proposal following your feedback and get back to you with a PoC build. All the best, Harry AKA PlantBoi

ErinOCon commented 2 years ago

Thank you, @PlantBoiGit! If you have any questions for our team, please do not hesitate to be in touch!

PlantBoiGit commented 2 years ago

Thanks! @realChainLife @ErinOCon

Just to update you, we're currently reworking our application with the focus totally on the PoC platform, and working on some changes to reduce the budget requested.

We are also planning on taking away Expedition #2 from the application for now. Since our initial application above we have developed plans further for a future trip focused on a medical plant collection in the Amazon, working with an indigenous community in Peru and local tech team and are very excited about this. However we aim to carry this out after the platform build is complete so we can first focus on showing you the utility of our website with our initial scans from Costa Rica.

We would be interested to see if you think this seems like appropriate changes to be working on based on your feedback?

Thanks, Harry

realChainLife commented 2 years ago

thanks @PlantBoiGit exploring the expedition at a later stage is a welcome approach. Looking forward to receiving the updated proposal.

PlantBoiGit commented 2 years ago

Hey @realChainLife @ErinOCon hope you're well! We're just edited our initial proposal above with our new reworked PoC build for the platform. Look forward to hearing your thoughts on this version.

Thanks, Harry

ErinOCon commented 2 years ago

Hi @PlantBoiGit, thank you for your proposed updates. This grant has been approved! We will be in touch by email to discuss next steps.

PlantBoiGit commented 2 years ago

Hi @ErinOCon, that's great to hear, thank you for letting us know the good news! Look forward to hearing from you soon.

PlantBoiGit commented 2 years ago

Hey @ErinOCon hope you're well! Just checking you've received my recent email?

ErinOCon commented 1 year ago

Closing the loop on this thread. This email was received and resolved on November 24, 2022.