By Shruti Sunderraman
Manisha Mohan, a scientist and student researcher from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab, has put her heart and soul into inventing a device that will detect sexual assault. The device is placed on the inner lining of a bra and detects forcible touch. The sticker is combined with an app that sends messages to emergency contacts of the victim within 30 seconds of detection. Oho. What if the touch detected is consensual? This device will ask you if this is consensual. If you don’t tap on ‘Yes’ within 30 seconds, it will send your location to your emergency contacts and will also call one of them to record what’s happening from your end.
So much technology. Such wow. While the intentions are noble and the research is undoubtably tedious (this product was tested on 70 people to see if they were comfortable using it), this leaves a lot of gaping holes. What if in the heat of consensual sex you forget to Tap on ‘Yes’ when the devices asks you if the touch is consensual? It will be a very nice night if mummy-daddy rush to you and knock down your door when you’ve deliberately closed them. Or worse, your ‘conversation’ gets recorded and sent to one emergency contact. How long before one resurfaces from the tent of embarrassment? We have MIT Media Lab to thank.
All this is okay, but hey scientists, where is the device that tells men not to rape? Can we stick this is in the inner lining of their hearts?