The aptly named product is designed to be worn by women as a form of self defense mechanism.
Yasmine Mustafa has designed a new form of wearable technology that can be worn by women who want to feel self assured and empowered everywhere they go, in the way that the designer feels when she hears the song called “Roar” by Katy Perry.
That’s why she gave her mobile gadget the same name as the hit song.
The purpose of this wearable technology is to help to keep women safe from assault and is the latest invention that Mustafa has created. She is one member of a team of five that is currently working on a version of the small mobile device that works as a flashing light and a high pitched alarm that can work to attract attention to someone who is being attacked, while distracting, disorienting, and hopefully scaring off the attacker.
The Roar wearable technology is a small and lightweight module that is about the size of a quarter.
The design of these wearables makes it easy for a woman to attach it to nearly anything, from clothing to shoes, from handbags to jewelry, or even to a smartphone. Mustafa explained that “The alarm and flashing light will startle the attacker, providing the victim with an opportunity to escape.”
In order to use this mobile device, the wearer simply needs to press a button and the light and sound functions will begin. Moreover, a text message with a link to the location of the wearer is also automatically sent to the people who have been pre-programmed into her contact list. Mustafa added that the device can also activate a call to 911 emergency services.
Mustafa is the head of the Philadelphia chapter of the Girl Develop It program. She was inspired with the idea after having gone on a trip on her own for half a year to South America. While she was there, she said that she had come across an “overwhelming number of women who had been assaulted.” Once she returned to her own home town, there were reports that there was a young woman who was raped in her own neighborhood of Center City. She’d had enough and decided to use wearable technology to help woman to protect themselves against these attacks.
