1. Each car has its own set of ATs running on the blockchain
2. User sends funds to use the car for a certain period of time
3. Upon receiving funds AT releases a key which 'unlocks' the car for that specified time period
Rather than "releasing a key" it would probably make more sense that the renter provides a "secret" and the hash of this would be stored in the day(s) they wish to hire (assuming perhaps 31 variables where one is for each day of the month).
When they turn up to pick up the car they provide the secret (which then clears that day ready for the next month) and if they don't turn up then perhaps something like a message with the hash from the AT creator clears those days (as a forced cancellation).
Note that with this approach each car would only need a single AT.
Also as blocks are not an exact measure of time each AT might need manual messages (from its creator) to keep it time locked (otherwise perhaps create a new AT every month or create ATs with 366 variables to cover an entire year for a car).
Assuming this a bit like Uber (but renting your own car out rather than acting as a taxi) then I think a key part is going to be having a smartphone app.
how do I go about making a smart property for a car sharing business I'm getting started? Or is that even possible yet, I want to use Burst
It is possible. All the building blocks with regards to blockchain tech exist in Burst. The problem would be implementing it in practice.
A quick run down of the renting flow for a single user off the top of my head.
1. Each car has its own set of ATs running on the blockchain
2. User sends funds to use the car for a certain period of time
3. Upon receiving funds AT releases a key which 'unlocks' the car for that specified time period
Burst can do 1, 2 and half of 3 in a trustless manner, true issue lies in interfacing the car and the blockchain (with myriad operational difficulties ofc). If you'd like to build a fully trustless system, you'd need an automated interface between the blockchain and the car. No such devices exist yet (to the best of my knowledge).
However, should you decide to be the ice-breaker, I am sure you will get support from the community. Completing such a project would bring immense media attention, to the benefit of both you and Burst. I believe it is a challenge worth taking (even if you'd need VC support to pull it off
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Thanks guys, it seems it could be possible to do this. Part of the problem is I'm a business man, not a coder. I can organize logistics but have no idea when it comes to what is needed code wise. At this point I'm just putting some feelers out there to see if there is interest in this. So far it seems like there could be but I'm just not sure how to go about it.