Students Invent Bracelet Monitor to Prevent Sexual Assault

Students at the University of Washington have come up with a non-working prototype for a bracelet that monitors the wearer’s levels of alcohol and dehydration.  The wristband vibrates alerting the wearer to squeeze the device showing he or she is conscious.  As alcohol levels rise, vibrations become more frequent.  If there is no response, the device will alert a friend via the smartphone already linked to the bracelet.  It provides location via GPS.  This is a departure from current alert systems that require the wearer to push a button.  It is lack of response that tells your friends you’re wasted and need help.

Called “Vive”, the bracelet was the result of information the students learned about the role of alcohol in at least half of all violent assaults.  While it cannot stop violence or sexual assault, it can alert a friend to intervene and remove the potential victim to a safer environment.

While it has the makings of a great safety tool, there’s another reason young people may find it irresistible.  A clever social media capability allows wearers, by simply tapping wrists together, to connect to other wearers via social media sites.

The project won “Best Product” at the annual Microsoft Research Faculty Summit Design Expo 2014, which was founded more than 10 years ago by Microsoft researcher Lili Cheng with the aim of including student design teams in tech development.