We call ourselves the Night's Watch. We defend the innocent during the night with the power of innovative smartwatch technology, against those who would wish to rob and harm them. Our members are Chenyang Xu, Haley Chen, Alexander Kasperovich, Rishi Kapadia, and Kevin Serrano. Together, we make smartwatch applications that defend the hardworking commuter from people who hide in the darkness.
Part II: Brianstorm Boogaloo
Location-based scavenger hunt: for Easter Egg
hunts and Pokemon-like challenges!
Nextbus App: Based on user's calendar and current location, alerts user which method of transportation user should take. For example, if someone is at home and needs to get to class, watch will alert user a few minutes before the bus is about to arrive.
Tourism App: show interesting information when
near certain view sights, like at a zoo or around the city
Baby monitoring application that displays
pictures and sound bytes of your baby at regular intervals and when crying
occurs.
Hide and seek: a game for kids that vibrates
faster as you get closer to your target!
Safety app targeted towards women, share
location with friends, quick sos, see anyone else
Quick exchange of contacts through gesturing
and/or infrared, useful for people at icebreakers and people who just moved!
Restraining order enforcement app: alert when
your stalker is nearby.
Item locator via bluetooth: never lose any of
your items again, such as your keys or your wallet!
Tag/hot potato/time bomb app for children and
youthful adults: don't be stuck with the hot potato and pass the potato
through gestures!
Quickmatch dating: vibrates and points in
direction of compatible people using same app.
Constant audio recording--for students and media
creators who want to capture lectures or spontaneous moments.
Wii remote emulator--replace any Wii remote with
your smartwatch, using the gyroscope and accelerometer.
Learn sign language: an application that uses
haptic feedback to guide learners through new gestures in sign language.
Social interest: set on to meet new people
looking to meet new people nearby
A check-in app that checks a guest into meeting
location as they arrive, such as a restaurant
A restaurant waiter-calling app, where restaurant
frequenters can call their waiter without the awkward waving or
attention-grabbing.
Rhythm game w/ tapping and swiping, which is fun
for the musically inclined who are on the go.
App that beeps when ankle trackers are nearby!
Useful for people who deal with restraining orders.
Pokemon / collection game which is a blend of a
scavenger hunt and playing minigames as "battles".
Metronome beat app - vibrates to various rhythms
and beats to master them through tactile feedback.
Cooking Organization: cooking tasks are
parallelized and organized for multiple people to work in sync, with
instructions viewed on watch/
Video Communication application that allows you
to video chat through your watch.
A context-aware application that tells your phone
to play music depending on GPS location, useful for music lovers who like a
little spice in their daily lives.
A live television/radio streaming application,
useful for streaming low resolution videos more for the content than high
quality visuals
An emergency app that automatically contacts
paramedics in case of collapse or heart attack.
A medical app that non-invasively tests blood
sugar levels for diabetes patients.
Sleep monitoring application to track your
sleeping patterns; useful for the insomniac.
Tomogatchi-like application--play around with a
virtual pet on your watch! (considering how small Tamagotchis were in the
first place, this isn't too unreasonable)
A teaching app for beginner sportsmen who are
getting into a new sport--instructions on the watch with possible haptic
feedback.
An events informer app that alerts city walkers
of interesting events nearby when in proximity
Nurse alert system. Patients buzz nurses (or
waitress, or airline attendant) with specific quick-select needs on the
watch.
Uber extension application allows for one-touch
calling of a cab for frequent users of Uber
Online wallet extension: order and pay when
heading out, so services ready when you arrive
Sale alert application that vibrates whenever
select stores have current deals; an application that the frugal will love.
A house key app that unlocks electronic locks
through NFC technology, useful for those who lose their keys a lot.
General interactive games suite that uses gesture
interactions to play multiplayer games.
A matchmaking app that alerts and points an arrow
at other app users with similar interests, thereby circumventing awkward
introductions.
A medicine calendar app for those who have
numerous pill schedules to follow, which alert users of appropriate times to
take their medicine.
A mood tracking app--quickly swipe up to indicate
a current happy moments, swipe down for sad moments. Good for therapeutic and
encouragement.
Go-pro remote which enables users to remotely
control their Go Pro through the watch.
20 questions / pictionary / guess who has what
card, general remixes on established games, but now eliminating the need to
carry around such games.
Augmented reality gaming: combines with Google
Glass to turn the real world into an MMO, which appeals to tech savvy and an
MMO hardcore crowd.
Real world into gaming, useful for those who want
to keep accountable for themselves in an RPG setting, where doing useful
activities enhances your 'stats'.
Ignore request application--will send signal to
solicitors not to talk to you, useful for those who are tired of being
solicited for Calpirg or other aggressive organizations.
A tracker for specific friends, which alerts you
when your friends are nearby.
A "stop bus button" app that alerts the
bus to stop at the next stop, for those who cannot easily reach the buttons
on a bus.
Bluetooth power manager, which alerts all of your
appliances to turn off when you leave your house, and turns them back on
manually when you press a button.
Emergency alert like amber alert / national
alerts, displaying important information easily through the watch interface.
App that keeps the all-nighter people awake by
vibrating, flashing, shocking them in that order.
Simulated instruments such as drums and triangles
that react differently to different taps, useful for the musician on the go.
Collect virtual puzzle pieces from other users!
Trade with others to complete your collection!
The picture of the day is displayed on your
smartwatch daily, like Muzei
Two-sided app, press one side to cheer, one side
to boo, during sporting events
iClicker for the watch--an app alternative for
the popular iClicker.
Text summarizing app--summarizing long texts and
articles to a concise format for the smartwatch.
Tap Tap: an app where you tap to poke your
friends, like in Kakao Talk.
Just Dance App: an application that plays a
mini-version of Just Dance using the accelerometer.
In-store intermediate receipt--know what your
total is before you purchase!
Instant wikipedia verifier--end arguments about
facts immediately!
Wrist movement recorder--create 3d digital art by
waving your hand around
Noise maker app--makes noises based on how you
move around your arm! Simulate sword swinging sounds, or the sound of wearing
chainmail!
Fake call tap--make your phone ring to avoid awkward or creepy moments with individuals!
Here are some of our ideas quickly sketched out.
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Part III: Selecting Ideas
We first rewrote all the ideas into full sentences, allowing the entire group to be clear on what ideas are on the table. Afterwards, we decided to vote for the top five most popular ideas. Every team member would have ten 'credits' to allocate across all the ideas. The top five ideas with the most credits were selected. The list above is sorted by number of credits allocated. Among these five ideas, we examined factors including novelty, suitability for watch, and feasibility.
Our walking safety app was selected in the end--it has an explicit goal of public safety and the versatility of a smartwatch allows for fast response times to critical situations. Moreover, the location service, dangerous level indicator, and emergency phone call features are all welcome features that can only be achieved by a smartwatch/smartphone combination.
Although other ideas didn't make the cut (for now), we still sought to implement the following trends in our ideas:
An emphasis on safety through technology, as evidenced from our restraining order app and baby monitoring application.
Using location detection to find objects of interest, as influenced by our friend finding app or "find your keys" app.
Silent notification and messaging, as the fake call tapping app or the proximity coupon alert app.
Part IV: Project Description
Nighttime in the Bay Area has no shortage of people on foot and bike. It's not uncommon for commuters to punch out of work after the standard 5:00 or for students to leave libraries after midnight--the fast pace of the region demands longer hours. However, within Berkeley, certain parts of the city are far from safe at night, with some areas impossible to avoid if a commuter wishes to get home. Unlike joggers, these people are often mentally and physically tired, leaving them especially vulnerable to assault. Unlike night drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists have little of a door or window to block potential assailants. Thus, a need for security and a want for peace of mind often cross the minds of night commuters. Even though services like BearWalk and the Night Shuttle exist, these solutions are often too slow to be convenient, at a time when most people just want to go rest at home. Thus, a more efficient and versatile solution is in demand.
Although other applications such as bSafe, Women Safety Secured, and PedSafe exist to fill in particular safety needs of night commuters, these applications only fulfill at most two of the three stages we've identified below. We feel that in order for commuters to be truly safe, an all-in-one package and more is the most convenient solution, rather than risking vulnerability in one of the three stages below by missing a particular application.
To measure the safety level of a typical night pedestrian, three stages of safety must be examined. We address these points with high-level solutions.
1 / 3 • Always have someone know of your whereabouts
First, preventing assault in the first place through deterrence--a great defense is the best offense. Strategies for detecting and avoiding high-risk areas based on crime history will be implemented, using publicly available data. Services that also increase visibility of one's environment such as through illumination or motion detection will also help in active and passive deterrence.
Second, protection against committed assault is necessary if the assailant ignores the deterrents. Quick ways to alert the police will be considered to achieve this end, especially in situations where the user is too shocked or incapable of taking action--surprise takes us on when we are least prepared. Before authorities arrive, technical solutions should focus on attracting the attention of people nearby without aggravating the attacker, a tough technical issue to tackle.
Lastly, peace of mind for oneself and one's friends and family, knowing that you are safe. Allowing for concerned ones to track your progress home would put many concerned minds to rest. The quiet guarantee of a technical solution sending a silent alert to authorities guarantees the optimal course of action in dangerous situations--keeping the current situation calm while alerting the proper authorities.
For night safety, easy accessibility and portability are key for effective application. A smartphone completes the portability part of the equation. With the ability to send SOS messages, detect location, fetch real-time data, and other night safety functions, a smartphone provides the immense power needed to run all of these tasks, all while being convenient to carry. The smartwatch completes the accessibility part, as its convenient location on the wrist allows for quick access to information, subtle alerts and messaging, and instantly displayed alerts. Precious seconds are at the clock--fumbling with getting your phone out and navigating the menus is already too much time. A smartwatch utilizes the power and portability of a smartphone and makes it convenient to use when it matters most. It may mean the difference between alerting the authorities quietly on-time versus a loud and messy altercation.
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