Bengaluru: The spate of rapes that took place in 2014, several involving children, have had Bengalureans up in arms about their kids' safety. Despite the Education Department issuing guidelines, little has changed on ground, with schools, parents and the authorities squabbling over where the onus lies.
There's one man - a parent - who not only understands the plight of parents, he's actually done something about it. Krishnendu DasGupta, founder of Safe In City, has designed a solution to reassure anxious parents, without having them interfere with the workings of the school itself.
The Angel Child Monitoring Platform is DasGupta's brainchild, an Internet of Things solution that uses small GPS-enabled, GSM-enabled devices that can be strapped to the child's body or worn around the neck.
Parents can track their child's movements, create 'safe zones' that include all the places the kids go to everyday, get automatic traffic alerts when the children are in transit and even see the speed at which the school bus or car is travelling. The device was ready in February — DasGupta’s daughter and her friends gave it a trial run before its launch. “After that, I quit my job to do this full time,” he said.
Parents can access the devices through their computers or through the Safe In City Android app (the IoS version is being developed). Those who buy one of these products are given a login on the Safe in City website, which they can use for real-time tracking. “All they need to do is click on their device for real-time information and even history - everything is saved automatically,” DasGupta explained. Parents will receive an automated message everytime the child leaves one safe zone and another when the next destination is reached.
“We also have audio sensors - the devices that are for children below six years use a one-way system, while older children can make calls to the contacts that have been stored." Those who tap into the sensor can listen to the ambient noise - this will deter perpetrators who have no way of knowing which child is wearing the device.
This could be intrusive for the children themselves - nobody wants to be tracked every moment of every day. DasGupta concedes to this, saying, “We're very particular about the devices being used for children below 12. Teenagers want their privacy and we have to respect that. The kids, however, actually like having the device, as do their parents!”
How it works
- The Angel devices - as they are called - weigh around 25 grams - smaller than a matchbox. "We have a separate line of products for children below the age of six," said DasGupta. "These don't have any buttons on them to distract the child and are entirely remote controlled."
- There is an Angel ID, which looks like an ID card, which children carry to school anyway.
- The devices can register two mobile numbers that will be called automatically in case the SOS button is pushed.
- “Since it is an emergency, it will dial both numbers three times each, in turn,” said DasGupta.
- The mobile numbers that have been registered will also get a text giving them the exact location of the child. Angel Candy, made for slightly older children, allows the wearer to make calls as well, like with a regular phone.
