In the society where we are constantly fighting for women’s rights and their empowerment, an increasing number of rape cases always make to the news headlines on a daily basis. And, in order to protect his fellow girl citizens from being raped, young Siddharth Mandala from Himayatnagar in Hyderabad has made anti-rape footwear called Electroslipper.
How did it begin?
Siddharth was just 12 years old when the Nirbhaya gang-rape shook the country. From silent candlelight marches to the deafening cries of slogans, young Siddharth Mandala from Himayatnagar in Hyderabad often accompanied his mother in the fight for justice.
He participated in over four demonstrations in one month and was left amazed at how genuinely people felt about the incident, but also realised that it was not only the incident of rape which traumatised the woman. Equally traumatising was having to face society as a ‘victim’ and that’s when he knew he needed something more than just protesting, something practical.
In 2015, Mandala began to think of ways to combat rape. Mandala’s ‘toys’ often comprised DIY frequency modulation kits, where he would sneak up on conversations with his family. After 17 attempts, and two years of experimenting, he came up with the ‘ElectroSlipper’.
People may forget to carry a taser or a pepper spray, but they will not forget to put on their shoes before leaving home, that was the basis of choosing something as simple as a slipper.
Roadblocks in the process
The GPS system in use is rather bulky and not yet applicable to the masses. Hence, Mandala is working on another system which will reduce costs and save space. He is also aware that 0.3A of electricity is enough to kill a person; that’s why his device goes up only to 0.10A. Nevertheless, it has to be regulated to ensure there are no accidents or deaths.
How does the Electroslipper work?
The ElectroSlipper is fitted with a battery and a GPS device, which electrocutes and then sends out the location of the wearer to the family and the police. So far, it has only been tested by his mother during a trial, but Mandala is open to feedback.
The ElectroSlipper works on the ‘piezoelectric effect’ — it is powered by footsteps. As a person walks, mechanical energy is converted into electrical energy and stored in the rechargeable battery fitted into the slipper. A woman will have to keep her index toe pressed onto the slipper for five seconds before kicking her perpetrator, electrocuting him with an electric current ranging between 0.08 Ampere to 0.10 Ampere. The device then sends the wearer’s location to the police and GPS system installed at home.
