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When you’re in a potentially unsafe situation – say, walking down an unfamiliar street alone, or meeting someone who’s essentially a stranger for a date – you might take a few precautions (especially if you’re a woman). Perhaps you carry pepper spray, or suggest meeting in a public, populated place.
While these tactics can be effective, they’re not always foolproof. You might waste precious seconds rummaging through your purse to locate the spray. And even if you’re in a public setting, your date can still become uncomfortable, leaving you struggling to improvise a tactful excuse to leave.
Two mechanical engineers, however, have proposed a solution: Shadow.
Resembling the hybrid of a lopsided Oreo and a beetle, Shadow is a 1.75-inch tall ovular device with an integrated panic button that connects to a user’s smartphone. A user can press the button at the onset of an unsafe situation, at which point the device sends an SMS alert to a personal contact of the user’s choice.
“We wanted to create a simple device that would make anyone feel safe. We have felt threatened at times and have had many friends in unsafe situations, where making a phone call isn’t possible,” said co-creator Nishana Ismail. “Having Shadow at your fingertips, you just need to push the button and a custom alert will be sent for you automatically. Our goal is to give people greater peace of mind every day.”
The alert, which is written by the user in advance, appends her current location. The user can compose two messages: one for emergencies of high severity, and one for situations of lower risk, co-creator Tim Deppen said.
And if a user’s phone is stolen, Shadow can still transmit an alert; according to Deppen, the device can communicate with smartphones within a range of 120 feet in unobstructed environments.
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Founders Tim Deppen and Nishana Ismail.
Of course, a number of unsafe situations call for dialing 9-1-1, but Shadow’s focus is on alleviating less grave circumstances, allowing only contact with friends and family.
Ismail and Deppen have pursued funding from multiple angles. Their company, Servabo, Inc. (under which Shadow is produced), won the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Cozad New Venture Competition in 2013, landing them an initial $25,000 (Ismail and Deppen have both attended the university; Ismail is pursuing her Ph.D. in Mechanical Science and Engineering, while Deppen earned his in 2013). They’ve also gained $100,000 in financing from private investments and have launched an Indiegogo campaign, which is charging $25 each for the first 150 Shadows sold.
Following the campaign’s run, Shadow will retail for $35, Ismail said. She and Deppen estimate a delivery date of August, 2015.
“After our Indiegogo campaign, we will focus on finalizing the design of Shadow and the Shadow app and setting up the manufacturing to meet our pre-orders by August,” she added. “From there, we plan on making Shadow available through major retailers and campus bookstores.”
“Campus bookstores” is the operative phrase; Ismail is particularly keen on introducing Shadow to universities, holding that the device’s discreteness and affordability will be instrumental in increasing security across campuses, and eventually, throughout the country.
“One of our long-term goals is to form partnerships with universities whereby they would make Shadow available to all of their students. We feel this would greatly improve security on college campuses...We hope that when everyone has Shadow there will be less violent crimes because people will not be as alone and vulnerable,” Ismail said.
