ROBOCOPP, a new start-up based in Oakland, California, is providing an effective yet simple way to deter crime and promote safety.

The ROBOCOPP Grenade, a turquoise keychain-sized device with a robot on the front, is a portable alarm that rings for 30 minutes when the top is pulled off. The device, priced at $27.99, is targeted to college students but can be used by a wide range of people, said Sam Mansen, co-founder of ROBOCOPP. Unlike other crime prevention tools, such as cellphones, pepper spray or weapons, the Grenade can be used in the few seconds between when a person is first alerted to danger and the actual attack, Mansen said.

“The problem with a cellphone is you have a two-second window to activate,” Mansen said. “It’s not too realistic. Nobody I know would take their phone out in time.”

Robbers then tend to grab cellphones — often easily accessible by unaware pedestrians — first, which leaves victims defenseless, Mansen said.

The inspiration for ROBOCOPP came after Mansen’s sister, who was going to school in the Bay Area, said she felt unsafe walking in the city. After researching safety devices, Mansen realized most were unrealistic. The idea of an alarm came to mind. Mansen said many statistics prove alarms are a useful crime deterrent.

“(An alarm) is a better option, when you can interrupt the process of (someone) trying to attack you, if you give them something they aren’t planning,” Mansen said.

Department of Public Safety Detective CJ McCurty said the ROBOCOPP Grenade could be very effective. DPS often recommends students carry whistles for protection, McCurty said.

However, he stressed that if students did buy the device, they should still continue to pay careful attention to their surroundings.

While originally designed for students, the Grenade can also be used in the outdoors. Alarms have been proven effective in frightening predators, said Jill Turner, public relations director for ROBOCOPP.

“We had a friend who said this would be really useful for hunting,” Turner said. “It scares bears away really effectively.”

Yet the key audience is still city dwellers, and the biggest struggle in marketing ROBOCOPP has been in making people change their thinking about protection, Mansen said. Education has been their best strategy so far, he said.

Turner added that ROBOCOPP tries to stress that crime isn’t gender-specific.

“Men don’t like being assaulted, kidnapped, either,” Turner said. “It’s like that gender disparity when it comes to marketing. … We try to focus on the tool, what it can do for someone.”

So far, ROBOCOPP has sold a few hundred devices, according to Oakland North. The company was initially funded by angel investors and an Indiegogo campaign, which raised $2,000, Mansen said.

Alejandro Amezcua, assistant professor of entrepreneurship, said that while ROBOCOPP might experience some success now, its concept could be easily copied.

“This is something, while it has a lot of value, I don’t think it has a long shelf life,” Amezcua said.

Amezcua recommended ROBOCOPP look into partnerships and suggested a partnership with a car company since the Grenade can be easily attached to car keys. Additionally, the company could also expand its market by targeting travelers or runners, Amezcua said.

The next step for the company is developing the ROBOCOPP Sentry, a two-in-one device that combines a deterrent, or an alarm, and a response — police or contact alert — in one, Mensen said. There are no similar devices currently on the market, he said.

Above all, though, Mensen said ROBOCOPP is on a mission to be a stepping stone toward eliminating street assault.

“If (the Grenade) gives you a 20 to 40 percent chance of (someone) leaving you alone, we’re doing our job,” Mensen said.

Published on November 30, 2015 at 8:43 pm

Contact Haley: hykim100@syr.edu