ITESM students develop self-defense jacket for women

Mechatronics and robotics students

from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESM) have developed a self-defense system for women, a jacket prototype that is activated manually to emit an electric shock to the potential aggressor.

The prototype of this garment consists of a closed circuit inside the lining, which has two electrodes attached. Once the jacket is activated, the electrodes connect and close the circuit, causing an electric shock produced on contact to disable the potential aggressor, allowing for the victim to flee.

The project development was led students Anahí Parra Quiroz, of Mechatronics Engineering; Giwan Park, of Engineering in Digital Systems and Robotics; Estela Gómez, from Mechatronics, and Guadalupe Martínez, from Law school .

In announcing the prototype, the entrepreneurs of ITESM, Campus Puebla , stated that the prototype was not a weapon or tool meant to do any harm, and that they simply sought to create a garment to provide security for women and "above all to be able to take immediate action at a time of danger."

According to the information agency of the National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT) , they adapted a system in the jacket’s interior, placing a button on the lower right side, which is activated manually. Inside the lining, it contains cables that are insulated to avoid self-discharge or damage to the user.

Inside, the jacket has a small LED that warns that the self-defense mechanism is on. Students are seeking to improve the prototype with sensors.

The garment also includes a transformer that emits volleys and voltage regulation to achieve a balance between the aggressor's lack of control and the victim's reaction, without causing "permanent" damage to the person who touches the garment.

They used a battery of nine volts, with a transformer to convert the discharge to 90 volts , in such a way that if the aggressor touches the victim, specifically in the arms, he will feel an impact.

For the development of this project, the university students verified the viability of the jacket in legal terms. They commented that the garment is not in the range of lethal weapons and because the voltage used is regulated and does not reach maximum levels, it cannot be considered a weapon.

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