Revolar Wearable: A recent study found that one in four college-age women experience sexual assault in college. Revolar wants to do something about that by building a device with an emergency button to alert friends or family when someone needs help.
In doing so, the company hopes to be part of a growing new trend in the “wearable safety” market by using location-based and wireless technology innovations. The company believes its potential applications can help not only women who are being assaulted but also vulnerable groups. Revolar’s device can be worn under clothing or on a key chain.
The idea came from Revolar CEO and founder Jacqueline Ros, a 25-year-old from Latin America who envisioned a way to combat rape using wearable technology. The device will be demonstrated at the TechStars booth at International CES 2016.
The device has a concave button that guides your thumb so you can press it without looking at it. You can pair the Revolar with your smartphone via Bluetooth.
Then, you set preferred contacts. With one tap, the mini device sends a “yellow alert” to your designated emergency contacts and gives them your location.
It alerts them to arrive for specific situations, such as a minor car accident, a sudden illness, or feelings of discomfort at a social event. It can send the alert very discreetly, without anyone knowing you sent a request for help, Ros told VB.
If you press Revolar twice quickly, it sends a “red alert” and lets your loved ones know that you are in an emergency and that they should contact 911 (100) on your behalf.
The device isn't just useful for those in need of immediate protection, Ros said. The device's red alerts could also help anyone who has had a severe allergic reaction or needs help due to a fall or injury.
To avoid false alarms, the company has designed the product for differentiated notifications. The concave button also helps a lot to avoid accidentally pressing it.
