Hair clip collects evidence in the case of a street attack

Currently seeking funding on Indiegogo, First Sign is a smart hairclip that automatically detects a violent attack, notifies friends and relatives, and collects evidence to help secure a prosecution.

Traditional attack alarms for women may not discourage the most determined criminals, often only really work if someone is nearby to hear the signal and can often be mistaken for a car alarm. Making the devices more discreet and smart, First Sign is a hairclip that automatically detects a violent attack, notifies friends and relatives, and collects evidence to help secure a prosecution.

Currently seeking funding on Indiegogo, the device consists of a clip featuring an accelerometer and Bluetooth transmitter that is around the size of a typical hairclip, and can be used as such. The clip can be linked with the wearer’s smartphone, and can detect if the user has experienced a violent jolt. In the case of a false alarm, a button on the clip can be pressed within 15 seconds to deactivate it. After 15 seconds, the device automatically activates the smartphone’s microphone, camera and GPS. In the case of a physical attack, the phone can record evidence of the incident — sent to a monitoring team in real time — and if the phone’s been stolen, it will track the assailant and capture images of their face when they try to use it. Upon reviewing the evidence, monitors then inform emergency contacts and passes on details of the incident so they can make the appropriate response. Any recordings collected can then go some way to providing evidence in court.

The video below offers more information about First Signal:

The campaign will end on 12 March, and First Sign will receive any money that’s pledged even if it doesn’t reach its USD 50,000 target. The basic clip costs USD 50, while the full service with monitoring is available for USD 100. Are there other fashion accessories that could be turned into safety devices through smart tech?

Indiegogo: www.igg.me/at/first-sign-technologies