Video summary
The video introduces Aura, a revolutionary navigation application specifically designed to prioritize the safety of women in urban environments like Zurich. The project addresses a common yet often overlooked issue where cities feel friendly and safe during the day but can become intimidating or unsafe at night, particularly for women who may alter their daily routines regarding where they go and when they return home due to these fears. Aura aims to solve this challenge by providing real-time safety scores for every street, allowing users to navigate with greater confidence after dark.
The app utilizes a powerful algorithm that combines multiple data sources, including street lighting intensity, pedestrian traffic patterns from city sensors updated every fifteen minutes, and community reports, to create a dynamic safety map. Instead of simply optimizing for the shortest distance or fastest route like standard maps, Aura's "Pink Routes" feature guides users through well-lit, populated areas that offer better visibility and higher foot traffic. The interface displays both the safe route and the standard route side-by-side, empowering users to make informed decisions about their journey based on current safety conditions rather than just efficiency.
In addition to route optimization, Aura includes robust emergency features designed for immediate assistance when needed most. With a single tap, users can alert police services and automatically share their real-time location with pre-registered emergency contacts. For situations where a user feels uncomfortable or threatened but does not wish to escalate the situation immediately, the app offers an AI-powered voice call feature that simulates someone picking them up, providing a safe psychological exit strategy from uncomfortable scenarios.
Ultimately, Aura relies on a collective effort to continuously improve the safety landscape of the city through community feedback. Users can rate streets on a scale from zero to ten and leave specific notes about safety concerns or positive features, which contributes to a dynamic heat map that visualizes safety hotspots across Zurich. This real-time user data ensures the map remains up-to-date and reflective of current conditions, fostering a safer environment for everyone. The project is driven by a dedicated team of innovators who are committed to making cities friendlier and safer for all residents, proving that technology can play a vital role in enhancing personal security in public spaces.
Read the full video transcript
So uh actually before I start I would
like to make some small interactive. Uh
could you please raise your hand if you
came to Frankfurt from another city?
Okay I see. Thank you. And who is local
here?
No one. Okay perfect. So actually there
is one small thing which connects all of
us despite uh where we are from. Uh when
this this this event ends and the
evening comes, we all will face the same
small challenge, finding our way home.
And during the daytime, it seems easy.
Yes, the pe uh there are a lot of people
around, a city full of light, and uh
everything feels friendly and safe. But
at night, it seems different. Yes.
So at night city feels unfriendly maybe
a little bit unsafe and actually we
um we face this challenge every day and
uh especially it's actual for women. Uh
so uh this actually shapes for me and
for other women the way how we move uh
where we go and when we decide to go
home. And our project ARA is about that
to help women feel safer at the streets
at night. So now please let me show you
how it works.
Mhm.
urban environments. Aura uses multiple
data sources to calculate realtime
safety scores for every street. The app
analyzes street lighting data,
pedestrian traffic patterns, and
criminal incident reports to create a
dynamic safety map.
Aura is a revolutionary navigation app
designed with a singular focus to
prioritize women's safety in urban
environments. Our safety first
navigation optimizes routes for
security, not just speed. We use
datadriven safety scores calculated from
street lighting, pedestrian traffic, and
community reports. In case of an
emergency, Aura provides one tap access
to the police and notifies your
emergency contacts.
And because safety is a collective
effort, our app is community powered
with real time reports from users,
enhancing the safety map for everyone.
Introducing Pink Routes, our innovative
feature that prioritizes safety over the
shortest distance. These routes guide
you through well-lit, populated areas in
Zurich. Unlike standard routes that
might take you through less populated
areas, pink routes are optimized for
your peace of mind, following main
streets with better lighting and higher
pedestrian traffic. The app displays
both route options with their respective
safety situations, empowering you to
make informed decisions about your
journey. At the heart of Aura is a
powerful safety algorithm that combines
multiple data sources from Zurich's open
data portal to generate comprehensive
safety scores. We analyze street
lighting data, including the locations
and intensity of public lighting
infrastructure across the city. What
makes Aura truly unique is our
integration of live pedestrian traffic
data from Zurich city sensors updated
every 15 minutes. This gives you
realtime insights into which streets
have active foot traffic right now. Or
SOS feature is designed to provide
immediate assistance when you need it
most. With a single tap, you can
instantly alert emergency services. The
app also automatically sends your real
time location to your pre-registered
emergency contacts. And you can share
your journey progress with trusted
contacts. For situations where you feel
uncomfortable or threatened, simply
click a button and Aura generates an AI
powered phone call. You can pretend
someone is picking you up, giving you a
safe way to exit an uncomfortable
situation. Aura harnesses the power of
community feedback to create an ever
improving safety map of Zurich. And most
importantly, we integrate real time user
safety reports, allowing the community
to provide immediate feedback on
perceived safety. Users can rate streets
on a scale from 0 to 10 as they walk,
providing up-to-date safety information.
This data contributes to a dynamic heat
map that visualizes safety hotspots
across the city. Furthermore, users can
leave specific notes about safety
concerns or positive features, enriching
the map with detailed qualitative
feedback. Aura is brought to you by a
dedicated team of innovators and problem
solvers. Anastasia, Ros, Yerislav,
Gulazar, and Eric. Together, we are
committed to making our city safer for
everyone.
Thank