Next time someone gets too close in a crowded bus and takes advantage of you, instead of keeping quiet and bearing with the misbehaviour or slapping him, try giving him some electric shock. The best part is that your co-passengers or even the culprit will not get to know where it came from. All you need to do is press the button on the sleeve of your jacket that will act like a giant stun gun and knock the errant out of his senses.
Keeping in mind the rise in rape and women assault cases in Delhi/NCR, students from National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) have created an anti-molestation jacket out of acrylic and denim. The two jackets have been tailored by Nishant Priya and Shahzad Ahmad, students of the bachelor programme of technology, under the guidance of NIFT professor Noopur Anand and assistant professor Deepak Panghal. The idea was Noopur’s, who developed it with her students. Says she, “The jacket is inspired by stun gun devices, which work on the principle of momentarily shocking the person into immobility with a low-voltage pulse delivered between two electrodes. The charge in the jacket is delivered to the surface through the metallic contact points which are camouflaged as embellishments. The metallic points are placed in such a way that even if the assailant covers some of the contact knobs while holding you, the rest can be activated to throw him off. Only two contact knobs can deliver the charge. If the button is pressed for about five to six times, it can immobilise a person for over 10-15 minutes, giving the victim a chance to escape or decide on the next course of action.”
The jacket-cum-device is designed such that both aesthetics and functionality are incorporated in it, ensuring it appears chic and stylish to the wearer while delivering a shock to unsolicited contact.
Says Nishant, “Our jackets look casual, modern, are easy-to-carry and can be worn in any season. Most important, you can never sense it comes loaded with special features, it is unobtrusive and deceptive.” He and Shahzad experimented with various fabrics and then narrowed down on denim. The acrylic jacket uses “adda work”, a technique that combines weaving and knitting and is popular in Jharkhand. “I belong to Jharkhand and therefore I know about the technique. We used cotton-based denim to keep our jacket perfect for all seasons. The inner fabric lining is waterproof. So even if you sweat, the in-built battery system will not get affected and you will not get exposed to shocks yourself. Metallic buttons on the outer surface will be active to deliver the electricity once you switch on the push-up button around your sleeve. The wires are connected from these button holes to the inner lining, so the system is completely invisible to others. The only thing you need to check every time you are wearing the jacket is that the battery is completely charged,” adds Nishant. The jacket, while stunning the offender temporarily, will not result in any long-term damage.
Prof Noopur has sought a patent and is planning to promote it in a big way. “We have priced our jackets very reasonably at Rs1,500. You can even wear these jackets to up your style quotient,” says Nishant. Fashion indeed for a social cause.