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Haptic Guidance: A Wearable Safety Companion for Survivors of Domestic Violence and Stalking

Project conducted for the Bachelor Thesis

Duration: 6 months

Designers: Hanna Loschacoff

Contribution: Conceptualization, Literature + User research, Benchmarking, Interaction Design, Ideation of form and function, Electronics, CAD Modelling and Materialization, Exploratory Sketching

The criminal justice system increasingly uses electronic monitoring over prison sentences for perpetrator rehabilitation. However, this raises safety concerns for survivors of domestic violence and stalking. Technologies like bilateral electronic monitoring (BEM) and AWARE devices provide short-term safety but have limitations. Social workers suggest creating safety plans for long-term protection, yet survivors often freeze in panic. My two wearables address this by guiding users to safe places through haptic feedback, supported by an app with additional safety suggestions. This tool offers long-term support, empowering survivors with actionable safety measures beyond current technologies' short-term benefits.

Final design

The wearables are used together, providing haptic feedback on each hand to indicate a turn to left, right or walking straight ahead.​

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One visually indicates the distance until the safe place.

The other wearable is used to activate the safety route.

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Process

01

Current technology analysis and literature research

* work in progress*

02

Ideation

* work in progress*

03

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Prototyping and evaluation 

* work in progress*

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