As Chancellor of Amrita University, Amma stressed the need for developing technology to protect Indian women and help to ensure their safety. Amma directed Amrita University’s Center for Cybersecurity to work to develop a device that women can wear secretly, through which they can alert family members and the police if they are in danger. With Amma’s directive in mind, they designed the Amrita Personal Safety System.
APSS is an inconspicuous, wearable device that empowers women to secretly trigger communication with family and police when in distress. Button- and voice-activated, the device can record conversations and communicate immediately via text-message and voice calls to multiple predetermined destinations. It also supplies its wearer with automated information regarding the nearest police stations, hospitals and fire-stations.
The device is designed to function even in rural areas over low-speed data connections. Intelligently combining location-aware technologies, the device works both indoors and outdoors with minimal power consumption.
The device is designed to provide flexibility and choices for the wearer. Women will be able to wear it either on the waist or on a necklace, with multiple remote-activation capabilities, including a separate activation device to be embedded in an earring studs.
The device prototype was unveiled on September 26, 2013, during Amma’s 60th birthday celebrations.
