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23rd May 2024
10:44am BST
As women, we're constantly aware of the dangers we need to be prepared for.
Whether it's calling a friend on the walk home or holding a set of keys between your fingers, we're always sure to be vigilant and aware of the latest safety tips.
Her spoke to E-J Roodt, CEO of Epowar, a women's safety app with the ability to detect physical attacks.
"I was at university and there was this guy who was following girls home and knocking on people's doors and flashing," Roodt explains. The 23-year-old graduated last year from The University of Bath.
"Everyone was talking about it...I knew of a couple of friends who were followed home by him, so we were all quite scared."
The idea for the Epowar came to her after her mum sent her a rape alarm for protection.
However, she didn't feel that this technology offered a solution. "If somebody attacks me, I'm not necessarily going to be able to access it unless I'm holding it with two hands."
After watching a Keynote speech on how Apple Watches have been able to detect heart attacks, Roodt had a "lightbulb moment", and wondered whether the watch could detect a physical attack.
Epowar functions by syncing to your Apple Watch and tracking your heart rate and motion using AI.
"Any form of very intentional movement or exercise is very regular and repetitive. And obviously, the way that your heart rate increases is sort of in line with that," Roodt explains.
"But if you're being attacked, then it's super erratic and there's really random changes in speed and intensity.
"We basically have trained AI models to be able to accurately distinguish between those types of activity."
The app also has the ability to rule out false alarms by messaging the user to ask if they're okay. That way, the app won't contact emergency services or friends and family unless the user is unresponsive to the message.
"The second we detect an attack, we start recording evidence and that's sent straight to the cloud. So even if their phone got lost or destroyed or died, that evidence would still be accessible," Roodt says.
"We're adding a whole bunch of features where it's not just focused around the absolute worst case scenario."
Instead of solely focusing on the detection element, Epowar also has a safety and reassurance element.
By having an SOS button as a widget on your lock screen, people can use it to discreetly alert their friends and tell them they're feeling unsafe.
Roodt and her team are also working on a feature that allows you to share your journey with friends, and alerts them when you've made it home.
"We're just trying to make it more of a holistic experience for women to be able to just use it when they're getting to and from places to feel more independent."
As part of their marketing, Roodt ran a campaign in December called "No Thanks, I'll Walk".
"We got everyone to wear neon and light up [clothes] and glitter. The idea was that when you're walking together, as women, you feel empowered and you turn these dark, scary spaces into beautiful, safe spaces," she says.
The night walks proved hugely successful, and took place all over the UK. Roodt says they plan to have more during the summer, and are looking into doing the campaign in Ireland if possible.
The walking campaigns have also been successful in bringing new friends together, Roodt says.
"I think in your twenties when you finish university, or if you don't want to go to university, making female friendships can be really difficult...you're no longer with a bunch of people your own age and it can be lonely."
Roodt recently pitched Epowar at an event to grow the business further, and received much positive feedback.
"I think a lot of the things that we've been working on over the past few months sort of just came together, and it was really nice to get good feedback. It's really validating when you're running a start up."
Epowar will soon be available on Android and all Android smartwatches, such as Garmin and Fitbit, with the goal to have the service as accessible as possible.
They also have plans to expand internationally and launch in countries such as Ireland in the near future.
