New safety band, a watchful protector for women

Along with a team of 20, Bhopal youngster Sushant Pattnaik has designed a special band that can be used as a self-defence tool by women in times of distress. The 23 year old college dropout said, “It all started after the Delhi gang-rape case. I decided to create a safety device that would not just act as a protective device but also give them confidence and a feeling of safety.The Raksha Band is a result of my team’s dedication and a lot of research that went into making this possible. We had initially thought of designing an app but immediate safety wasn’t a feature that the app would provide. The band is almost ready and we will launch it this year.”
The band is designed in such a manner that it gives a shock to the attacker and provides time for escaping. His team includes working professionals as well as college-goers who worked to give the band some unique features. “The band is designed like a bracelet and at the first glance it doesn’t look like a safety device at all. It has features like a super micro heater which, when turned on, heats up and can be used to inflict a quick burn on the attacker’s hand. Then it has features like super flash beam, super siren and micro cellular technique. While the super flash beam has a powerful flash, the siren can be used to alert those in the surroundings and the micro-cellular technique alerts the nearest police station by the pressing of a button.”
The team has conducted trials with a few women and has reportedly got a good response. Sana Sheikh, a student from Oriental college who underwent a trial, is looking forward to the launch of the band. She said, “The one feature that impressed me the most was the shock. By the time the attacker will overcome the shock, the girl will get a chance to escape. Rest all features are also good from a safety point of view.”
Diana Pallai, a software engineer also echoes similar sentiments. She said, “The band is very comfortable to wear and I think the band will solve the purpose of safety through its unique features. If the girl is stuck alone somewhere, she will at least feel safe with the band on.”
Suggesting a modification, Disha Jain, a fashion designing student, said, “The overall features are good but the only modification it needs is the availability in bright colours. That way, it will become a funky fashion device.”