Designed by two girls studying engineering, the app can make women on the streets much safer
There have been more than a hundred thousand reported crimes against women in India in 2015, and when times are tough, new ideas and innovations need to be implemented for their safety. Chennai-based Naga Vaishnavi P and Nandita Visvanat, two final-year students from the IT department of SSN College of Engineering, have come up with one such innovative idea, ‘GoSafe’ a gesture-recognisable mobile application that can send SOS messages to three people along with the exact location, which updates every two minutes.
Nandita says, “I went to Mauritius when I was in my first year where I worked towards women empowerment for 6 weeks. When I returned I spoke to Naga Vaishnavi about this idea.” Though there are many apps and smart-jewellery made to send out panic messages, they need to be externally operated. This technology requires two elements, a band-like device worn around the ankle and a mobile phone with Bluetooth. When the foot with the band is tapped 10 times on the back of the other leg, the phone receives the distress signal and sends messages to three previously selected emergency contacts along with the exact location, which updates every two minutes. “We wanted a device that could be well hidden, which could be triggered discreetly, and could be adaptable to the user so that she could incorporate it into her daily life without discomfort,” explains Naga Vaishnavi. They are now aiming to make the device even smaller and include more features like a direct line to the police. They have already filed for a patent for their invention. They are grateful to their guide G Munishwari who helped them throughout their project.
Reach out: ssn.edu.in