After her sister was sexually assaulted as a teenager, UF alumna Jacqueline Ros created a product to make notifying friends of unsafe situations easier.
Her company, Revolar, will release its newest wearable safety device April 4 on the crowdfunding website Indiegogo.
Her new product, Revolar Instinct, will be smaller than the original Revolar, which came out in May 2016.
When people are in suspicious situations or walking alone, they can clip the device on their clothing and tap it to alert friends if they feel unsafe.
The upgraded device also tracks users' steps and vibrates to let the user know when someone received their message, which is sent through a mobile app.
“We want to empower someone in those little moments, not just the big ones,” said Ros, who graduated from UF in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in international studies and Spanish. “Sometimes you just need your friends to come and get you.”
The 26-year-old said when her sister was assaulted, she couldn’t unlock her phone or call for help. Ros wants to help others in similar situations.
Indiegogo users can buy the Instinct for $59 before it’s sold in stores for $79, she said.
The upcoming launch will offer a community package to college organizations to test the device’s reverse notification feature, which warns organization members of danger. If triggered by a member, everyone in the organization will be notified of that person’s location, Ros said.
Taylor Nicole Clark, a UF biology sophomore, said she bought a stun gun her first year at UF for walking home from the library late at night. She said she would use the Revolar device so her friends can track her if her phone dies.
“It sounds genius,” the 20-year- old said.
Ros said Revolar is the Spanish word for “to take flight again.” The company is named after her sister and other survivors of sexual assault.
“We want to honor those who pick themselves up repeatedly,” she said.
