Alone, but Protected: Analysis of Safecessories

     The world can be a dangerous place, many people everyday find themselves in situation in which they are not comfortable with no way to call for help. The Safecessories project provides an effective solution to these sorts of situations. Essentially, they developed an inconspicuous accessory that can send out a GPS beacon and a warning to either the authorities or another primary contact telling them that you are in danger. Each device has the signature Safecessories circle which can be pressed once to alert your primary contact and twice to alert both primary and secondary, all within 30 seconds. Furthermore each circle is equipped with a fingerprint scanner so that an attacker may not cancel the beacon and is waterproof to work in all situations. Safecessories offers belt buckles, bracelets, earrings, key chains, necklaces, rings, and watches with modern designs that all offer the same functionality for the price of $50.00. Each device you have and each fingerprint you register can be seen on your account on their website.

     While the idea of Safecessories was only applied to individual situations it could be very effective in many situations. Think about this, assuming people don't abuse the Safecessories system, it could be used for accurate crime statistics, and aid in the capture of repeat offenders. One argument could be that people could abuse the system, but remember, it's directly tied to the users fingerprint so abuse of this system could result in legal punishment. Some might also be uncomfortable with the tracking aspect of Safecessories, but the way I understand it, the beacon is only put out in times of emergency and will be dormant otherwise.

    This was my favorite project of all because it was an approach to solve this problem for both genders. For one, the inconspicuous design of each product allows for it to be an effective tool for calling for help which wont alert an attacker. Current smart devices require multiple actions in order to call for help by which time the victim could be in a situation where they cannot call for help any longer. Secondly I enjoy the wide variety of products. I don't wear rings or necklaces myself but belt buckles, and the Fit Bit looking smart watch are definitely things I would wear. Furthermore, a product like this could be implemented in amusement park or other places where it is common for children to be abducted. A project like this has countless applications and is priceless in an emergency situation.