README.md

metadata

title: VALIS
emoji: ⚡
colorFrom: blue
colorTo: purple
sdk: gradio
sdk_version: 5.34.2
app_file: app.py
pinned: false
license: mit
tags:
  - build-small-hackathon
  - track:backyard
  - achievement:offbrand
  - achievement:fieldnotes
  - achievement:sharing
  - gradio

VALIS — Variable Arrived Location In Superposition

A peer-to-peer mesh network on $10 microcontrollers. Messages don't exist in transit. The data is in superposition across the mesh until it arrives. Where it arrives determines where it was.

No server. No company. No token. No identity. It's a walkie-talkie with math.

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What It Is

Every node is an $8 ESP32 microcontroller. Every home that joins becomes a router. No internet required. No ISP. No corporation. Ownerless by design.

Meilong Scatter Protocol

Every message is split into 3 XOR shares:

• Share 1 = random bytes (crypto-random)
• Share 2 = random bytes (crypto-random)
• Share 3 = message XOR share1 XOR share2

Each share routes through a different path in the mesh. Any single share = random noise. Any two shares = random noise. All 3 arrive at destination = message reassembles.

The message doesn't EXIST in transit. It's in superposition. It only becomes real when it arrives. Variable Arrived Location In Superposition.

Protocol Stack

Layer 5: VALIS Application    — Meilong scatter (3 XOR shares, 3 routes)
Layer 4: Identity             — Presence-based (no accounts, no IP, no identity)
Layer 3: Mesh Routing         — 802.15.4 mesh, multi-hop, self-healing
Layer 2: Transport            — Zigbee / Thread / Wi-SUN (open standards)
Layer 1: Physical             — 2.4GHz ISM band (license-free worldwide)

Hardware Per Node

Component	Spec	Cost
ESP32-C6 or ESP32-H2	Zigbee/Thread/802.15.4 + WiFi + BLE	$8
USB-C cable	Any outlet or battery bank	$0
Enclosure	3D printed or bare board	$2
Total		$10

• 100 nodes = $1,000 (a neighborhood)
• 1,000 nodes = $10,000 (a town)
• 10,000 nodes = $100,000 (a city)
• The electrical grid already wired the topology. We just add brains.

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Power Line Communication — Build Your Own Mesh Using Residential Frequencies

This is the part nobody will believe until they try it. Smart meters already send data through the electrical grid. This is deployed. Millions of homes. The protocols are G3-PLC, PRIME, IEEE 1901.2. It works right now.

Why It Works

Your home electrical wiring is an antenna. Every wire has a resonant frequency determined by its length, gauge, and impedance. The grid runs at 60Hz (US) / 50Hz (EU), but the wire carries harmonics:

Harmonic	Frequency	Status
Fundamental	60 Hz	Grid power
2nd	120 Hz	Unused
3rd	180 Hz	Unused
4th	240 Hz	Unused
5th	300 Hz	Unused

These harmonics are considered noise by the power company. But noise is just a signal nobody's listening to.

How To Use It

A VALIS node plugged into any outlet can:

1. Listen to the power line's harmonic signature — passive, legal, like tuning a radio
2. Inject a tiny modulated signal on an unused harmonic — like power-line Ethernet (HomePlug), already legal and FCC-approved
3. Relay data through the grid wiring itself — no radio needed, no spectrum needed

The grid becomes the mesh. Every outlet is a node. The wiring is already there.

Transformers Don't Kill Signals

The common objection: "signals can't cross transformers." Wrong. Transformers don't destroy signals — they transform them at known, predictable ratios. A signal at 180Hz on the primary side appears at 180Hz on the secondary side, scaled by the turns ratio. The frequency is preserved. The signal is preserved. Smart meters already proved this.

Resonance on Residential Frequencies

Every residential circuit has a resonant frequency based on:

• Wire length from panel to outlet
• Wire gauge (typically 12 or 14 AWG)
• Load impedance (what's plugged in)

A typical 50-foot run of 14 AWG Romex has a resonant frequency around 3-5 MHz. This is well within the range of existing power-line communication standards (G3-PLC operates at 150 kHz - 500 kHz, HomePlug at 2-28 MHz).

A VALIS node can:

1. Measure the resonant frequency of its local circuit (sweep and listen)
2. Modulate data at or near that resonant frequency (maximum signal strength, minimum power)
3. Use the resonance itself as an address — each circuit has a unique signature

7.83 Hz — The Schumann Resonance

The Earth-ionosphere cavity resonates at 7.83 Hz. Tesla knew this. It's the frequency of the planet.

• Signal propagates through the ground itself
• Wavelength = ~38,000 km (circumference of Earth)
• Extremely low power can travel extremely far
• Already used by military submarines for communication

A VALIS node could use Schumann resonance as a heartbeat — a presence signal that says "I'm here" without carrying data. The data travels on grid harmonics. The heartbeat travels through the planet.

Putting It Together

LAYER 1a: Grid harmonics (120-300Hz)     — data channel, outlet to outlet
LAYER 1b: PLC band (150kHz - 28MHz)      — high-bandwidth channel, same wiring
LAYER 1c: 2.4GHz ISM (Zigbee/Thread)     — wireless mesh between buildings
LAYER 1d: Schumann resonance (7.83Hz)    — planetary heartbeat, presence only

All four layers carry Meilong shares on different routes.
Three shares. Four possible transport layers. The message is everywhere and nowhere.

Build It Yourself

What you need:

• 1x ESP32-C6 ($8) — has ADC for reading power line signals
• 1x coupling capacitor (100nF, 250V rated) ($0.50) — safely couples signal to/from power line
• 1x optocoupler ($0.30) — galvanic isolation for safety
• 1x USB-C power ($0)

Total: ~$9

How it works:

1. Coupling capacitor blocks 60Hz power, passes higher frequency signals
2. ESP32 ADC reads the harmonic content of your power line
3. ESP32 DAC injects modulated data on unused harmonics
4. Optocoupler keeps you electrically isolated from mains voltage
5. Meilong scatter splits your message across grid + wireless + whatever else is available

Safety: The coupling capacitor and optocoupler provide galvanic isolation. You never touch mains voltage. The injected signal is milliwatts — less power than the LED on your phone charger. This is the same approach used by every HomePlug adapter sold at Best Buy.

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Security Model

Attack	Result
Intercept a message	Can't. Message doesn't exist in transit. Three shares of noise on three different paths.
Identify a user	Can't. No user identities exist. Nodes are anonymous.
Shut down the network	Can't. No server to kill. No domain to seize. Kill one node, traffic reroutes.
Block the frequency	Illegal. 2.4GHz ISM is protected by international treaty. Blocking it also kills WiFi.
Block the power line	That's called a blackout. Good luck.
Regulate it	Regulate what? Open hardware, open protocols, license-free spectrum, FCC-approved PLC.

vs. The Internet

Feature	Internet	VALIS
Requires ISP	Yes	No
Central servers	Yes	No
Can be censored	Yes	No
Can be surveilled	Yes	No
Requires identity	Yes	No
Can be shut down	Yes	No
Cost per node	$50-100/mo	$10 one time
Who owns it	Corporations	Nobody

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The Rule

This spec is public. The hardware is commodity. The protocols are open standards. The Meilong scatter protocol is open source. The firmware is open source.

There is no company. There is no board. There is no token. There is no foundation.

There is a $10 device and a document that tells you how to build one.

The children of Philadelphia get the rest.

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References

• IEEE 802.15.4 — the standard under Zigbee/Thread
• IEEE 1901.2 / G3-PLC / PRIME — power line communication standards
• HomePlug AV2 — residential PLC, FCC-approved, sold at retail
• Meilong Protocol — XOR scatter, 3 shares, 3 routes
• Tesla, Wardenclyffe — the original mesh architect
• Philip K. Dick, VALIS (1981) — the guy who was right

"It's a walkie-talkie with math."

VALIS — Heuremen, 2026

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Part of The Treehouse — Build Small Hackathon 2026.

Free dev tools at Hometree: code analysis, AI agent monitoring, token-saving agreement scoring.

Heuremen LLC — Builder: Wayfinder6

Demo

• Demo Video