Prototipo funcional de plataforma tecnológica con botón de emergencias para dispositivos móviles para la Universidad de Cuenca

Abstract

In recent years, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have faced a worrying increase in threats and risk situations, such as abuse, violence, theft and imminent danger. The safety of their members has become a priority for these institutions. One viable solution that has emerged is the implementation of emergency buttons, which play a critical role in protecting individuals by providing an effective means of reporting and responding to various emergencies. This degree work focuses on developing a functional prototype of a technological platform that includes a multiplatform application for cell phones, framed in the linkage project Ïmplementation of the SHAYA System”. The application acts as an emergency button and is also complemented by a web application for the management and follow-up of reported cases. The mobile application will offer different alert levels (yellow, orange and red) to facilitate response protocols according to the severity of each situation. From yellow level alerts for everyday problems, to red alerts that will notify nearby users and emergency contacts for immediate response. Thus, the application will provide a comprehensive emergency response system. The mobile application was empirically evaluated through a quasi-experiment with the participation of 29 people. During testing, different alerts were generated and specific roles were assigned to each student. Statistical analysis revealed that participants perceived the application as easy to use, useful and that they would be willing to use it in the future if necessary.