RiskBand turns to u-blox for cutting-edge global safety bracelet

Founded in 2014 in Charleston, South Carolina, by entrepreneurs Jim Van Law and Mark Karsch, Whereable Technologies is a global safety d

evice company and creator of the first wearable, live-monitored personal safety device that doesn’t require connection to a cell phone or transmitting station. The company partners with global security expert GEOS to help provide emergency response to RiskBand customers anywhere in the world.

In 2016, Whereable Technologies launched RiskBand, the world’s first wearable personal security device that doesn’t rely on a cellphone or transmission station to contact and engage a highly trained emergency response team. Once activated, RiskBand vibrates to let the wearer – but not the attacker – know that they are not alone. Immediately, highly trained first responders from GEOS, a global emergency response firm that has successfully operated in more than 144 countries and can respond in 200 languages and dialects, receives the wearer’s GPS coordinates and can see and hear what is happening, assess the situation and quickly contact the proper authorities, immediately launching the appropriate response just about anywhere.

Challenge

Whereable Technologies needed to ensure global and robust cellular connectivity for RiskBand, in a miniature format ideal for a wearable. It was also looking for product quality and technical support.

u-blox solutions

u-blox provided the ideal solution, with its cellular module SARA-U201, the world's smallest cellular module for 2G and 3G connectivity. Thanks to SARA-U201, wearers can reach the RiskBand Emergency Response team from anywhere on the planet that has cellular service. RiskBand was one of the first devices to incorporate this globally functioning cellular module.

“When we designed RiskBand, we wanted to make sure every component was best-in-class to deliver flawlessly on our promise to provide security to our users,” said Whereable Technologies President and CEO Jim Van Law. “The u-blox SARA-U201 allows us to not only streamline the size of the device, but also offers RiskBand wearers the unparalleled ability to get help virtually anywhere in the world in the event of an emergency.”

Measuring just 16 x 26 x 3 mm, the 96 pin SARA U201 is the smallest cellular module ever made supporting both 2G and 3G connectivity and has global radio regulatory approvals. RiskBand will also incorporate u-blox’s top of the line GPS smart-antenna module with omni-directional reception in its device to ensure its location-based functions are best in class as well.