Brief
To create a product which can help and defend a person from harm in public
Client problem
Women aged between the ages of 20 - 25 have the problem of feeling unsafe while coming home late at night and are more likely to be the victims of an attack
Research
Pain Points
Afraid to walk alone at night
No extremely viable methods of defense or deviation
Confidence undermining not being able to walk home at night alone
The most recommended method of defense is to have aloud alarm to deter attackers. Alerting anyone to the situation makes them hesitant or abandon their plan. A simple alarm system could be put into a product requiring very little power for something so efficient
Most sprays are not allowed however some UV sprays to ID attackers. Non harmful substances such as dyed gels combined with a foul odour to be identified. A spray may stain or leave marks but no bodily harm must come of it to stop the person defending from receiving any charges
Ideation phase
To find viable solutions using the collected research I began to ideate on different methods I could do this. Mainly revolving around hand held items which could blend into society quietly as not to be disruptive
The ideation was refined to more feasible ideas
And then practical manufacturing ideas where designed
Rapid prototyping
Models of foam where created to quickly understand dimensions and ergonomics. I understood how well TraceAlert would fit into somebody's hand and was able to base my measurements of it, which made way for 3D printed models to create and understand the interior. Electrical bread board wiring helped me to understand how to program the alarm system which would be placed inside as well. CAD modelling abled understanding of the spray mechanics letting me view how pieces would function.
How it works
The spray container is held in place by physical constraints of the plastic injection casing. The spray is made from blow moulded UV liquid holder and a plastic injection spray top.
A PCB controls the alarm which is fitted into the top section of the casing. The piezo component is welded onto the PCB and the button cell is placed beneath it provide power to the alarm.
A servo motor is set in place to the right which activates a ticker when turned on.
The orange rubber cover is on top of a push button which activates the alarm.
The colour matches the bottom section make it much more noticeable if the product is used in a rush
When the button is pressed not only does it set off the alarm, it also causes a a ticker inside the casing to move out the way of the spray hole allowing spray to be ejected at will.
This feature helps to prevent misuse of the product due to the alarm having to be active to use the spray
The screws allowing the interior to be removed in case the spray needs a refill or the button cells need to be changed
The plastic casing hiding the handle prevents it from accidentally spraying in the bag of the user and allows it to remain less obvious in the bag when not in use
Visual purposes
The point of having 2 different colours is to let the user know which way up it is meant to go, which could prove difficult in the heat of the moment. The choice of orange is to very clearly stand out against the black to make it very obvious.
Constrained interior
The spray bottle and pcb are constrained in two different parts to limit movement inside with the spray bottle and further improves the longevity of the product
Easy fit
TraceAlert fits extremely easily into everyday hand bags, almost passing off as a battery pack. With it being so much easier to transport users will not have to make any changes to how they prepare for going out at night
