MIT: This Indian Scientist Developed Wearable Sensor to Stop Rape

Manisha Mohan is an Indian scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She has developed a sticker-like wearable sensor that has the potential to detect sexual assault in real time. This wearable device can be used to alert the victim’s family and friends.

How does the device work?

• The sensor can be attached to any piece of clothing like a sticker.
• It can be trained to differentiate between when a person is undressing and when they are being assaulted or being forcefully disrobed.
• On being forcefully disrobed, the sensors will detect the circumstances even if the victim is unconscious or intoxicated people.
• An integrated Bluetooth connects the sensor to the smartphone app that will trigger a loud noise and alert the pre-defined family members or emergency services specified by the victim.
• The sensor operates in two modes. One is passive mode, in this, the victim is assumed to be conscious and can raise alarm or distress calls by tapping a button when they are under threat.
• The other mode is active mode, in which the sensor tries to detect signals from the environment of the victim.

For example, if the victim has been assaulted and the attacker is trying to remove the clothes from their body, a message will be sent to the smartphone to confirm whether the act was done with consent or not. If the response is not sent by the victim in 30 seconds, the phone starts emitting a loud noise in order to alert the marked contacts.

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If the alarm is not stopped using the predefined password set by the victim in the next 20 seconds, distress signals will be sent to the family and friends of the victim along with the location of the victim.

This sensor can be used by individuals of any age group to enhance their safety measures. The device can be highly useful in preventing child sexual abuse, assaults at college campuses and the abuse of disabled individuals.

This technology works with any type of clothing and responds to the signs of assault like disrobing. Therefore, it can help women to protect themselves when they are alone.

Inspired by her experiences in life, Manisha designed this sensor to help improve women safety. While pursuing her education in Chennai, she saw that the female students were not permitted to go out for work and studies after 6:30 pm.

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She believes that stopping women from pursuing their dreams is not the solution. Manisha says that more safety should be provided to women so that they can live their dreams without fear.