On the 75th anniversary of the Turing Test, we’re proud to announce the open-source hardware design and documentation for the next generation Orb, the proof of human verification device powering World. This reflects World Foundation’s commitment to open-source every part of the technology underlying the real human network. Doing so maximizes transparency, security, decentralization, and accountability for the World protocol.
What is the next generation Orb?
The Orb is a device built by Tools for Humanity to anonymously verify that a person is a unique human and thereby eligible to join the network. It does so by taking pictures of a person’s face and eyes without storing the images or collecting any other information. More details about the Orb can be found here.
What is being released
We are publishing the full hardware documentation, including:
- Photos and annotated diagrams showing the Orb’s internal architecture, including the arrangement of cameras, sensors, mirrors, motors, antennas, cooling systems and circuit boards
- Detailed specifications of optical hardware, namely, the main eye camera, wide angle cameras, thermal camera and time-of-flight (ToF) sensors
- Power subsystem design, including battery pack layout, supercapacitors, power rails and voltage conversion details
- Security subsystem design, including an overview on tamper-detection
- Mechanical design, including specifics about the shell, sensor bar, cooling covers and mounts
Architecture diagram of the Orb.
Access the full technical documentation here.
Why this is important
We believe transparency in hardware is just as critical as software when it comes to trust, security and verifiability. Specifically, it:
- Enables verifiability: Network members, researchers and security experts can examine the hardware and ensure the device is built as claimed.
- Facilitates community collaboration: Hardware developers can spot vulnerabilities, suggest improvements or create their own hardware.
- Increases trust: Transparency about how the Orb is built helps strengthen trust and confidence.
How to contribute
We believe that contributions from external experts and other community members can strengthen the next generation of Orbs. Therefore, we welcome feedback, reviews and questions within the Allspice platform. Please read the documentation in our public repository for details on how to report potential security issues.