INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) - The #MeToo movement has brought sexual misconduct into the public discourse, but it was already top-of-mind for a pair of technophilanthropists in Indiana.
Anu and Naveen Jain launced the $1 million Women's Safety XPrize in October 2016 to challenge teams from around the world to develop a device that could inconspicuously trigger an emergency alert if a woman is in danger. The alert would need to be able to transmit to a network of community responders within 90 seconds. The winning device would have to cost less than $40.
Five finalists were tested to see how well the performed in a variety of environments from high-rise office buildings to college campuses, public transit and homes. The winning team, Leaf Wearables from New Delhi, was announced Thursday at the United Nations.
Their device, "Safer Pro," is a small chip that can be put into any device or jewelry. When a user is in danger, she can press a button on the device which sends an emergency alert with location details to her guardians. It also lets you record audio.