Wearable technology and fashion as a defence mechanism

• Main Author: Mathews, Rachel Ann
• Other Authors: Galina Mihaleva
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2021
• Subjects: Engineering::Electrical and electronic engineering::Electronic circuits
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/150434
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Wearable technology, also known as “wearables” are defined as electronic devices that can be worn anywhere on the body, for hands free operations with practical uses. These devices are powered by microcontrollers, and are now elevated by their ability to receive and send data via the Internet, as a result of high speed data transfer and the growth of mobile networks. Thus, wearable technology is gaining popularity into a vital category of the Internet of Things (IoT), and is no longer only prevalent in lifestyle and healthcare sectors. It has been gaining traction in the security and safety sector aiding in the fight against protecting vulnerable individuals from the alarming increase in the number of assault cases whilst walking alone, especially amongst women and elderly with dementia. This project aims to program a microcontroller that can be embedded into a wearable such as a bag that is activated by the touch of the bag’s strap. The bag strap has been made into a capacitive sensor and will automatically trigger a Position Alert System on the Telegram Bot API, that instantly sends the user’s live location to a group of emergency contacts. Thus, the location of these vulnerable individuals can be tracked seamlessly, in the case of potential danger. People tracking solutions not only enable real-time location information and a peace of mind for families and loved ones, but also empower users to signal the need for urgent attention and assistance should an emergency occur. The development of this project will be done using Bare Conductive Technology, and written in JavaScript, Processing IDE and Telegram API.