Our solution's stage of development:
EarlyOur solution:
technology to detect, communicate and prevent sexual assault in real time. To make women feel safer across the world.
Our pitch:
The problem:
Every 98 seconds, a person is sexually abused in the U.S. 35% of women globally have experienced either physical/sexual violence. In the name of safety women and young girls are forced to stay indoors and not allowed to work up to their potential. In most communities, if the victim is found incapacitated or intoxicated during assault, victim blaming and shaming continues.
Why our solution will solve the problem:
Intrepid prevents sexual assault in real-time, whether or not the victim is conscious or unconscious. It enables them to let their identified safety circle and/or the police know where they are and that they are in trouble. It gives them the peace of mind that they are safe and that if they are in a dangerous position, then they can be heard, and can ultimately get help.
Our target outcomes:
The proposed solution prevents sexual assault in real-time, whether or not the victim is conscious or unconscious. It enables them to let their identified safety circle and/or the police know where they are and that they are in trouble. It gives them the peace of mind that they are safe and that if they are in a dangerous position, then they can be heard, and can ultimately get help.
How we will measure our progress:
The populations we will benefit initially:
The regions we will benefit initially:
The technologies we employ:
Why our solution is unique:
Intrepid, is a wearable sticker that prevents sexual assault in real-time. It's clipped onto any existing garment and connected to a phone by Bluetooth. It alerts safety circle and buzzes alarm to prevent assault. It communicates the geo-location of the victim to their safety circle even when the victim is unconscious.
Why our solution is human-centered:
It is a sensor technology which is in the form a sticker, it can be attached to any kind of clothing and forms a part of the existing garment. It provides a sense of safety and security to the wearer (both conscious and unconscious state) and its relatives. Detects and communicates assault actively without the actuation of the wearer. It informs wearer's safety circle in case of any assault. Safety circle consists of five people most trusted people. It is upto the wearer to define police as a part of this circle.
How people will access our solution:
We are looking at both B2B and B2C models.
B2B:
With this model, we plan to sell to a prominent online garment stores like Myntra (India) which has 20 million market audience. We also plan to partner with garment and undergarment companies.
B2C:
In this model, we would work with large retailers (i.e. Target) and have it sold at their stores. We would first pilot it in a specific geography, and then with success, scale it to stores around the nation.
Technology-Readiness Level:
6-8 (Demonstration)Our organization:
For-ProfitHow we will sustain our team financially:
research and initial user testing was supported by MIT Media Lab. Post research, we are currently also supported by MIT Sandbox funding and personal funds. As we pilot the product , we look forward to partner with garment companies which can either license the technology or buy it from us.
The factors limiting our success:
We are limited by following issues:
1. Technology: Geo-locations are not 100% accurate. hence, reaching victim on time can be an issue.
2. Out-reach is a huge issue in communities where incest and marital rape are not considered as abuse.
How long we have been working on our solution:
2 yearsHow long it will take to develop a pilot:
3-6 monthsHow long it will take to scale beyond our pilot:
1-3 monthsOur expected annual budget:
$40000
How much of our budget we've secured to date:
$10000
We're looking for partners in these fields:
Why we're applying to Solve:
We hope to get better insights, understand potential customer's needs and interactions with the product.
The feedback and mentorship will give us ultimate product insights and hopefully prove that our product makes women feel safer, and protects them in dangerous situations.
Our current partners:
We are currently working closely with potential customers who have reached us after the press release. We also talking to on-line clothing brands in India and undergarment manufacturers,
Solution Team
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Emil Kuruvilla MBA Candidate , MIT Sloan School of Management
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MM
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Our Solution
Intrepid