Saksham: a rural India initiative
2018- Present
Collaborators: Deoria Designs and Jagriti Yatra
Advisor: Prof. Ethan Zuckerman
Saksham is a rural India initiative, spun out MIT Media Lab's Intrepid research. The initiative focuses on creating a virtual safety net between the parents and young girls who are aren't allowed to step outside their homes to work and study due to the fear of assault and sexual harassment. Saksham aims to empower women and address the fear in these communities by providing low-cost communication chipsets. These chipsets can be embedded in clothing or jewelry.
Devices embedded in the form on patterns in clothing and jewelry
Devices embedded in the form on patterns in clothing and jewelry
Features of the technology :
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Enables tracking when the wearer needs help. Calls for help by sending geolocation to 5 people -predefined in the user’s safety circle
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Allows two-way calling feature.
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Enables audio-recording feature when an act of assault is detected.
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The activity monitoring system is on-board (enabled when the sensor detects unusual movement).
The wearable designs to encapsulate the electronic chips are designed by Deoria Designs, a local design house run by women in rural India- Sirolli (near Deoria) in Uttar Pradesh in India.
