From
nail polish that detects roofies to
hard-to-remove undergarments, inventors of all types-- including some here in Pittsburgh-- are using their creativity to fend off sexual assault.
A group of Carnegie Mellon University engineering students formed a company called LifeShel and created
Whistl, a phone case that is also an alarm aimed at combating sexual assault. They invented the device after one of their friends fell victim. The case fights back against would-be attackers by deploying a powerful alarm system while calling 911 and loved ones and recording whatever criminal action may be occurring.
The inventors have turned to Kickstarter to fund their project, which already has the support of start-up funder AlphaLab.
“As a survivor of attempted sexual assault, I know what it’s like to feel very alone and unsafe,” said Leah Yingling, LifeShel’s Director of Community Relations in a news release. “I was a college student, on my afternoon run, and all I had on me was my phone. I feel safer now having the Whistl there when I need it, to help me where I am, and to call for help with the click of a button.”
The case performs many of the same functions apps can perform, but without the same start-up lag time, according to LifeSchel Chief Operating Officer Alan Fu. "With other apps you have to unlock the phone and find the app, and when you are in a panic scenario, your brain can't work fast enough for that. You don't even have to look at your phone to engage the LifeSchel app," Fu said. In addition to allowing for blaring alarms, Fu said the product also has stealth mode so that users can activate it without an attacker knowing. "We launched a 15-unit test at CMU last month," Fu said, adding that many users became reliant on the app for security.
With two clicks of a button, Whistl strobes a blinding 90 lumen LED light and sounds an alarm at 120 decibels-- which is as loud as being front row at a rock concert, the creators say. The device sends a 911 alert and notifies loved ones through a group SMS message and also activates protective video and audio recording.
A limited number of Whistl smartphone cases will be available for an early-bird price of $57 through the Kickstarter campaign and cases for iPhone 5/5s/6 will ship in Summer 2015, with Galaxy S and HTC One series cases expected to ship soon after. The company has also created a LifeShel app that is free and will be available on the iPhone in the Summer 2015, followed by an Android release.
Every two minutes in the United States, someone is sexually assaulted, according to data provided by the
Rape Abuse and Incest National Network. Fu said the company hopes to combat this problem, but added the app could be used in a variety of situations including "in the office space or even in cabs or in Uber or Lyft for driver safety. It also could definitely be used by the elderly because we have simplified the interaction," Fu said, citing the two-button operation.
To find out more about Whistl, visit
http://www.lifeshel.com/