Anyone releasing pepper spray could likely do with some urgent assistance, and the Plegium Smart Pepper Spray is built to bring them the help they need as fast as possible. By automatically alerting emergency contacts via a companion smartphone app as its fired, the connected pepper spray informs close ones when a victim is in danger, while also triggering a siren and flashing lights that may help deter an attacker.
The Smart Pepper Spray from Swedish startup Plegium calls to mind other connected personal safety products that alert the authorities or close ones when danger is present. Like the Revolar, the Athena smart jewelry and the Leaf Wearable’s connected jewelry that took out a US$1 million XPrize for Women’s Safety earlier in the year, the device is designed to automatically put out a call for help in case of an emergency.
Users pre-fill emergency contacts into the companion smartphone app, which connects to the device over Bluetooth. When the pepper spray is fired, their phone then automatically sends a text message with their Google Maps location to those contacts, as well as an automated pre-recorded phone call to alert them the user is in danger.
The pepper spray also has some tricks up its sleeve that might help to diffuse the situation on the spot. It is fitted with a 130-decibel siren that can help draw unwanted attention to an attacker, as well as a set of strobe LEDs to disorient them further.
With a 10-ft (3-m) range and enough capacity for 10 shots, the maximum strength Smart Pepper Spray comes with a four-year battery life that requires no charging. Launched at CES in Las Vegas this week, the device is available now for €69.95 (US$80).