It's 8pm at night and you're walking down the street, when all of a sudden you're mugged. Someone walks out of a shadow and demands your purse/wallet. At this moment your body is driven into the fight or flight response. Your palms get sweaty, you get goosebumps, and you experience mini tremors all over your skin.
These are all triggers that are very predictable not just for you, but for everyone. Evolutionary we all experience similar triggers during the fight or flight sensation. So wouldn't it be practical to have your smart watch or Fitbit sense that you're in danger, and then call 911?
That is exactly what Anansi Labs is looking to do. They are a small software startup out of The University of Chicago. They’re building software that monitors for a few key indicators that you’re in a fight or flight response. If those indicators get triggered the software will send a 7 second alert, where the user can either turn it off or let it call 911.
You can listen to the full interview with Anansi Lab’s founder Nikita Parikh.
