New device developed for women’s safety

By Ashraf Padanna/Thiruvananthapuram

Kerala’s Amrita University’s Centre for Cyber Security Systems and Networks has developed a technology to protect girls and women from potential rapists and sexual offenders.

The Amrita Personal Safety System (APSS) is an inconspicuous, wearable and easy-to-operate electronic device that will help girls and women to trigger communication with family and police when in distress.

“The device will remain invisible to the offender and yet can easily be triggered by its user with multiple options to ensure stealthy and secure communication,” said its director Dr Krishnashree Achuthan.

“With the ability to record conversations and communicate immediately by the press of a button or using SMS and voice calls to multiple destinations, this device also offers automated information on the nearest police station, hospitals and fire stations to the victim so that she can get immediate help.”

The Amrita Centre for Cyber Security is making efforts to ensure that this device is securely lodged in an earring or a ring. The prototype will be formally unveiled during the 60th birthday celebrations of the university’s chancellor Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, India’s hugging saint.

“We are designing it so that it can be affordable. The device will soon be equipped with technology that can videotape events,” she said.

A distinct feature of APSS is that it can function even in rural areas where the speed of communication is minimal. The device can also function indoors and outdoors with minimal power consumption as it intelligently combines many location-aware technologies.