Nikola Glasses

What it does

Nikola Glasses are smart safety eyewear that detect emergencies through head movement and automatically send SOS alerts with live location, solving the problem of delayed response during distress, especially for women, students, and the elderly.

Your inspiration

During my first year of college, I got stranded alone at night on a bridge in Coimbatore, unsure of how to reach my hostel. The fear I experienced in that moment stayed with me. While searching for safety tools later, I found only manual SOS buttons, which require user action—something not always possible in emergencies. I realized there was a lack of affordable, automatic SOS solutions. This personal experience and market gap inspired me to design Nikola Glasses, a hands-free safety wearable that could respond when users can’t.

How it works

Nikola Glasses are smart safety eyewear designed to detect emergencies without needing any action from the user. They are equipped with a small accelerometer and gyroscope (MPU6050) near the mastoid bone, allowing them to sense sudden or unusual head movements such as a fall, jerk, or physical struggle. When such motion is detected, the glasses connect via Bluetooth to a companion mobile app, which instantly sends an SOS alert along with the user's live location to pre-set emergency contacts. The system works entirely hands-free and discreetly, maintaining the look of regular eyewear to avoid suspicion during emergencies. The companion app includes features like emergency messaging using Twilio, voice-activated triggers with a fail-safe word, and location history logging. Together, the hardware and app ensure users can get help even when they are unable to act, offering a reliable and affordable solution for personal safety.

Design process

The design process of Nikola Glasses began with a focus on building an affordable, hands-free emergency response system. The first prototype included an MPU6050 sensor to detect motion, an ESP8266 microcontroller for processing and communication, and a 450mAh lithium polymer battery. Communication with emergency contacts was handled through IFTTT, and charging was supported via a Type-B port. However, this version lacked a Battery Management System (BMS) and was relatively bulky due to the size and weight of its components. To improve the design, the second prototype introduced significant upgrades. The ESP8266 was replaced with a more compact ESP32-C3 Mini, and the battery was downsized to a 250mAh lithium polymer cell to reduce weight. Type-C charging was integrated for faster and more reliable power delivery. A custom companion app was developed using Flutter, enabling seamless SOS alerts, voice activation, and location tracking. These changes made the device lighter, more compact, and functionally robust, bringing it closer to real-world usability.

How it is different

Nikola Glasses stand out by offering completely hands-free emergency detection and alerting, unlike most existing safety devices that rely on manual input like pressing a button or using a phone. While some smartwatches offer fall detection, they are general-purpose and not designed for discreet personal safety. Nikola Glasses are worn like regular eyewear, making them subtle and ideal for high-risk situations where reaching for a device could escalate danger. The sensor placement near the mastoid bone ensures precise head movement tracking, and the built-in app enables instant SOS alerts with live location, voice-activated triggers, and no external dependencies like IFTTT. The design focuses on affordability, comfort, and real-time response, tailored specifically for vulnerable groups such as women, students, and the elderly. This blend of subtlety, automation, and focused safety use makes Nikola Glasses a unique solution in the wearable safety space.

Future plans

The next steps for Nikola Glasses include integrating machine learning models to minimize false alarms by accurately distinguishing between regular and emergency movements. We also plan to incorporate smart glass features like notifications and voice assistance, expanding the product's role from safety to productivity. On the business front, we aim to refine the hardware for mass production, conduct user testing, and collaborate with safety organizations and educational institutions. Our goal is to make Nikola Glasses a reliable, affordable solution for both personal protection and everyday utility.

Awards

1.First Prize – Electrino '24 Hackathon, Coimbatore Institute of Technology, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India 2.Best Project Award – IEEE Project Sculpt 2024, Coimbatore Institute of Technology, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India 3.First Prize – Thiran'25 Intra-College Hackathon, Sri Eswar College, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India