Indian Students Develop Bra That Electrocutes Assailants

A group of Indian engineering students have designed a wearable solution to a terrible problem: a bra that can give a would-be rapist a literal 3800kv shock.

Manisha Mohan, a student at SRM University in Chennai, saw the aftermath of the gang rape and murder of a student, and how reluctant the government was to help. So she and two friends, Niladhri Basu Bal and Rimpi Tripathi, decided to use their scientific knowledge to provide a form of protection.

The bra, referred to by Mohan and her colleagues as Society Harnessing Equipment (SHE) can not only electrocute an attacker, but also text for help.

It works by having the electrical circuit connected to a pressure sensor, which only detects certain levels of pressure to avoid the wearer accidentally shocking themselves. As Mohan told the BBC:

"Firstly, the system is placed in a bi-layer fabric, which ensures insulation to the victim."

"Also the pressure values for squeeze, pinch and grab have been calibrated. The force applied on hugging does not satisfy the conditions for actuation of the device, and there is also a self-actuation switch where a woman can actuate it by herself when in unsafe environment."

Mohan is currently working on streamlining the electrical components of the design to make it more practical, and plans to sell it if all goes well.

"My vision is to see every women walking confidently on the streets in all parts of the world, even at odd hours," she says.

We can all agree that this is a very worthwhile goal. It's simply a shame that so many apparently need an electric shock to convince them not to attack and violate others.