GPS Tracker SOS Panic Button API Integration - Making Nirbhaya Project a Success Story

Here is a proposal to the government authorities on implementing crucial changes to make Nirbhaya Project a success story. In this video we have presented few basic suggestions on how to make GPS tracker panic button integration in a more practical way. This video also highlights on seamless integration of panic button with 112 ERSS server and its testing possibility at a simplest yet effective way. Watch this video in your language with the help of subtitles.

Hi, Welcome to Peptrack GPS. I am Vijay Karla

There is a new rule requiring all public and private transport vehicles to get GPS tracker and Panic button to be installed

Let's see about this rule related to the panic button

In 2012, our nation's capital Delhi witnesses a horrible incident 

A medical student was gang raped by goons while she was using the public transport facility

She gets mercilessly tortured by those goons

Media calls her Nirbhaya

It's been more than a decade since we lost Nirbhaya

After this tragic incident, the Government of India starts the Nirbhaya Project 

A new service gets started under this project

That is 112 helpline service

You can dial 112 in the emergency situation to get any help under this service

You can dial 112 or send sms to 112 or you can download and install 112 India help line app on android or iPhone to get the emergency help from 112 service

Or even you can open ERSS (Emergency Response Support System)  website and submit the request for emergency help

Also you can send an email to the state level ERSS centre

One thing you can note here is you need some time to seek the help from these options

Now imagine that you are involved in an emergency situation

you become a victim rather than observer

You can use these options when you are an observer

or even when you are the victim and you have time, then also you can use these options

What if, if you don't have sufficient time?

Imagine few goons attack you while you are using public transport

when you don't have time to react, the panic button comes for your rescue

It's enough if you have time to just press the button once

There are two options here

First one, your mobile phone power button as panic button

You can activate panic button by pressing power button three times

It is just like pressing the panic button

Next option is pressing 5 or 9 on feature phones continuously 

it also activates panic button

Your mobile phone's GPS location will be sent to the ERSS center

and they will dispatch the help

One thing you can notice is, using mobile phone as panic button is not possible in all emergency situations

When goons suddenly attack on you, using your mobile phone as panic button is not so practical here

It's the physical panic button which helps you in these situations

Let's see this panic button used in public transportation

I have a sample panic button

It looks like this

We have to press this panic button in an emergency situation

This is a press type of button, not a push button

You can't push this button, you have to search the place where you need to press using your finger

You should not press in any other places and it will not activate

Even there is no audio visual implication of panic button being pressed

SOS signal will be sent to the ERSS server when the panic button is pressed

Also I feel that it is bit difficult for physically challenged people to operate this panic button

What I suggest here is to use these Push buttons instead of Press buttons

In reality you will never be able to press these panic buttons using your finger when you become a victim

Instead you will push or punch the button or kick the button using your legs

This button locks or latches when pushed it until I turn it to unlock the button

I can kick this button to lock it

Even I can use the fingers to press this button

This button gets locked once pressed or pushed

There should start flashing light visible outside the vehicle when the panic button is pressed

Also there should be a siren sound audible outside the vehicle

These two systems should be installed along with the panic button

Panic button should latch once pressed or pushed and it should give flashing light and siren sound

This panic button comes with normally open (NO) and normally closed (NC) options for the circuit

You can use any one for sending panic signal through the GPS Tracker

This industrial standard panic button is highly durable 

It might be bit expensive, but for the security reason we can't compromise

This press button is less useful compared with push button

Usually the panic button is fixed at this position, but should be replaced by the push button instead of press button

Now the main question is, if we install GPS tracker and Panic button, will the project Nirbhaya becomes successful?

Never. Here our government should bring some changes

Let's see those changes step by step

First the vehicle owner will install GPS tracker and panic button (push and latch type)

which can be used even by physically challenged persons

Along with this, vehicle owner should install flash light and siren sound

This is the first step

Next step is, the owner will take his vehicle to the nearest RTO office to get the GPS Panic button registered

In RTO office, there will be a simple application

through that application they will enter vehicle registration number, vehicle details like engine number, contact details etc

You should submit vehicle RC as a proof document for the verification

This process should be available at any RTO office

Any nearest RTO office should allow this process of registration

Owner will get an email to his registered email id or sms to his contact number as soon the the details are verified and entered into the system

This email contains RTO client Id and RTO client secrete for the GPS + Panic button installed on the vehicle

There will be an option to enter this client Id and client secrete in the telematics app which is provided by the GPS tracking service provider

This should happen as soon as the owner receives the client id and client secrete at the RTO office 

Once this completed, there will be a testing at the RTO

RTO personnel will perform a test to check the proper functioning of panic button

They will have a simple application to perform the testing

There will be a text box in the app to enter the vehicle registration number

On submitting the vehicle registration number, the app will display whether GPS tracker and panic button is registered or not

Installation is installing GPS tracker and Panic button. Integration is registering this at the nearest RTO

RTO testing app will display weather integration is completed or not

Once the vehicle registration number is submitted in the testing app, the vehicle panic button will go into the test mode

In test mode, the panic SOS message will be redirected to the test server for the next 5 minutes 

This redirection should happen at ERSS server side rather than client side as there are chances of misuse if it happens at client side.

Now RTO personnel has 5 minutes to perform the testing process

First they will press the panic button.

Then they will check for siren sound

If it looks good, first check completed

Next is the flash light check process

Third check is to receive the panic message in the testing app 

The panic message should contain time, latitude, longitude, vehicle details, contact details, live tracking details etc..

Most of the telematics apps have sharing option of live tracking through the url. This live tracking url should be in SOS message

If the third check is passed, the panic button is working as expected

Here there is one important thing

To be able to send the panic data to the ERSS server, there should be an API available at the server side

Every SOS panic message should go through this API

and it should contain client id and client secrete which will help mapping vehicle registration number with client id.

This will also help in authentication for valid panic requests along with the mapping

If the government authority build this basic setup, the entire process of GPS tracker + panic button installation and integration will become a seamless process

As you can see here, testing panic button is very simple

Enter registration number, bring the device to test mode for 5 mins, do the testing and then automatically leave the test mode

There should be penalty for the vehicle owners who fail this test

Otherwise this will get misused, what is the use if panic button doesn't work even though it is installed.

There should be an option provided for the vehicle owners to do this panic button testing as and when required at the nearest RTO office

Even traffic police officers should be given the authority to do this testing as and when required

This panic button testing should happen randomly and frequently

These are the few suggestions from my side

As the name itself says, to live a fearless life in the society, for women, children, elderly people while they use public transport

it's not enough to bring the rule to mandate the panic button, also we need to think on making it practically successful 

Please share this video if you feel that my suggestions help make the Nirbhaya project more successful in a practical way. Thank you.