Amazona- A Framework for Mobile Context-Aware Personal Security

Abstract

Personal security is a global concern that ignores race, gender, age, and socioeconomic status. It can be gravely compromised without warning in a dangerous location as well as in a perceived well-protected neighborhood. Theoretically, someone in need would call 911, or the equivalent in their country, and help would arrive. However, depending on the nature of the emergency, it is not always feasible to make a call or send a message. For instance, in case of assault or kidnapping, where the victim needs to physically defend themselves, placing a call would only further endanger the victim. In the scenario where contact can be established, emergency responders have very limited information to formulate an effective rescue protocol. These are concerns that can be addressed through the utilization of smartphones which have become more globally ubiquitous in the past few years.

This thesis introduces Amazona, a context-aware mobile framework that discretely and rapidly distributes important system and user information to emergency contacts upon activation in an emergency. The context-aware nature of the system allows the mobile device to gather information about its environment and to adapt its emergency protocol accordingly. Based on the selected protocol, Amazona sends an updated information package, containing location, video/images, among other data, to preselected emergency contacts upon the consecutive presses of the device's power button. The package does not just reflect a snapshot of the user's condition at the time of the emergency but also includes location data from the past, creating a detailed timeline of the user's activity before the alarm is activated. This approach facilitates access to different sources of rescue, diminishes the risk involved with reaching out for help using traditional methods such as calling, and improves the probability of rescue. Keywords: Context-aware; Android; Personal Security; Smartphones; GPS