Every single day, there is some news or the other of women being stalked, abused, threatened, or raped. So do we return home early? Or refuse to step out late at night? Not take up jobs which require us to stay back for long hours? Should we give in, thinking about the concerns of our parents and society at large? Or take up the responsibility of our own safety, by going tech savvy?
It is precisely these concerns that drove Pune-based start-up DZONE Lifestyle, to launch Dromos BT, a safety app. Launched by Devjeet Saha, Dibyendu Joardar and Ashish Samant, the app has three features.
“The three features include Call the Help, Find the Lost and Take the Picture. But the main focus is Call the Help, an SOS feature which will send an SMS or a person’s location when s/he is in trouble. In fact, all the features of Dromos BT can be customised once the device is paired with the application.”
How does the app work
Saha says the app is easy to download and use. “One has to first buy the device for Rs 999, download and install the application either through Google Play (for android phones) and iStore (for ios phone) and then pair the device and phone via bluetooth. The bluetooth has to be kept on,” he says.
He adds, “In case you are hurt or in difficulty, you have to click the device twice. This will result in connecting you with a contact person whose number has been saved on your phone. The person will also get an SMS or call describing your present location.”
But it often happens that when you are attacked or molested, the first thing they do is take away your phone. So how can you call for help? To which Saha says, “Wear this device as a pendant around a chain. No one would even notice it.”
He says that along with women, the device will come in handy for elderly people as well.
“We have heard about so many cases of elderly people going missing, after their memory fails them. This device will be helpful in that case too,” he says.
Other features — Find the Lost and Take the Picture — are equally helpful. “If you lose your keys or phone; or forget them at home or office, the device will make an audio alert and your phone will also ring. This will work as a reminder that you have left your phone. The sound will emanate if you cross 30 metres between the device and the phone,” explains Saha.
He adds, “Keeping in mind the trend of ‘selfies’, Dromos BT functions as a remote controller for the camera on the paired phone. The device can select the front or rear camera and also click it.”
The team took a year to develop the app. “We have imported the device from China and developed mobile application in Pune. It has been developed by Spring Computing Technologies Pvt. Ltd. We have spent separately for Android and iOS phones,” he says.
Still a new trend
Saha says that the concept is popular in the USA and other countries. “There’s a USA-based company called Tracker which has sold four million devices. It will take some time for India to get those numbers. People are still opening up to the idea,” he points out.
The app has been launched in Pune, and eventually will be released across the country.
The mobile application is free to download via www.mydromos.com.
