This bra sticker senses forceful touch, and it may help prevent sexual assault

According to RAINN, one American is sexually assaulted every 98 seconds. And while that statistic is truly awful, it’s good to know that people are working hard to change it. A bra sticker was invented that senses forceful touch, and it’s just one of the many products out there that’s set to address the big issue at hand. It’s called Intrepid, and it’s a gamechanger.

The sticker was created by scientists at MIT, with researcher Manisha Mohan leading its development. It’s pretty incredible to hear how it works. The sticker is able to sense force, and if it happens to go off, the owner gets a notification asking if they consent. If they don’t respond within a set time, an alarm sounds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzRsWtF5yOY?feature=oembed

And that’s not all. The bra sticker works with your phone to contact the five people you trust the most. It also starts recording audio (which is genius) and lets your contacts know where you’re located, so you can always feel safe.

The device becomes aware of how you normally take off your clothes. That way, it knows the difference between normal and unusual force. Talk about smart.

While it makes the most sense for women to wear the sticker on a bra, it can be attached to any item of clothing. And since the product isn’t just for women (since anyone can be a victim of assault) it’s great that Mohan made this sensor so versatile.

That said, women were definitely in mind when she created to it. According to an interview with Financial Express, Mohan noted that she was inspired to invent Intrepid by her experience as a college student in Chennai, India.

"Female students on campus were not allowed to work beyond certain hours. You were expected to be back in your dorm by 6:30 pm," Mohan said. "Instead of asking them to remain indoors I think we should provide more safety for them."

We agree. And we’re so happy that Mohan is helping make a difference. We hope that the Intrepid will be available soon and give individuals another way to feel safe in their own environment.