A small wearable to solve a big problem.
At one point or another, we’ve all been (or will one day be) in a situation where we do not feel safe and have limited access to loved ones. And as scary as it may sound, one in five women in America will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime. Designed to eradicate this statistic and to help spur a more security-conscious society, Revolar is a new wearable device that syncs with a smartphone’s emergency contacts via Bluetooth and acts as a “magic button” that sends out an SOS with a user’s exact GPS location.
The idea was first conceived by Revolar’s founder Jacqueline Ros after her sister was attacked multiple times before the age of 17. Subsequently, Ros was determined to find a solution and curb these sort of occurrences from ever happening again.
Just about the size of a quarter, Revolar can be discreetly placed just about anywhere, from a piece of jewelry, to a pocketbook or backpack, to a shirt or jacket collar. The device itself is comprised of two components: a communications module and its hard shell casing. Revolar features a drop-in system that also lets users to take the module and interchange it into a differently colored shell — currently available in white, blue and black — so that it can match with nearly any sort of attire.
How it works is easy. First, the unit is attached to an article of clothing, accessory or keychain. A user then inputs his or her emergency contacts into the Revolar mobile app. Only if and when assistance is required, the button is pressed. This sends the wearer’s exact GPS location to its respective recipients.
What’s nice, Revolar can be used by nearly everyone — kids can input the contact information of their parents or caregivers, campus police for college students, or colleagues for business travelers when abroad. Once activated, the user’s mobile phone will automatically switch phone settings to silent, if desired. As soon as a user feels safe, they can simply turn off the alert using their app PIN, and friends and family will be notified with a message that they are indeed okay.
“Our technology is built upon the most innovative Internet on Things Security Platform, which assures the integrity and confidentiality of our users data while enabling rapid development. This technology also enables secure device-to-device communications management,” the team writes.
Built around Atmel CryptoAuthentication devices, Revolar packs a whole lot of security features for such a tiny gadget. For one, users can take comfort in knowing that each wearable unit is as unique as the wearer themselves and cannot be cloned. Because of its chain of security, devices cannot be impersonated on the network either. Beyond that, data being communicated between each Revolar cannot be intercepted or manipulated by a third party.
Sound like something you or a loved one would like? Head over to Revolar’s official Kickstarter page, where the team is currently seeking $75,000. If all goes to plan, shipment is expected to begin early spring 2016.
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