December 7th, 2015: An innovative mobile application being developed by a team of students from Canadian University Dubai (CUD) has been commended by Sharjah Police following a recent presentation of the technology at the Force’s Seminar on Innovation in Police Security.
Inspired by the persistent parking problems they have experienced around the UAE, engineering students Ahmed Farrag, Amro Mosaad, Ahmed Nofal and Khawla Bouhemady came up with the application GraceWarn. The new technology allows motorists to send a mobile alert to the owners of cars causing obstructions, so that they can quickly return to their vehicle and clear the way for fellow road users.
Ahmed explained, “The system uses RFID technology to identify the owner’s details through the vehicle’s Salik tag. A message is then sent from the user’s mobile device to alert the driver that their car is causing an obstruction. The process is completely secure as no personal details are disclosed, and because the system is based on the Salik ID, it can be effectively overseen by Government authorities.”
The application was presented to senior personnel of the Sharjah Police Force by Dr. Adel Ben Mnaouer, Associate Professor in the School of Engineering, Applied Science and Technology, at the recent security seminar held in conjunction with UAE Innovation Week. The invention attracted significant interest among representatives of the Force, which receives in the region of 6,000 calls a month related obstructive parking.
Dr. Mnaouer said, “The idea caught the attention of all the participants as it touches on a daily problem faced by many people. There was strong support for the application to be rolled out to the public and we received warm encouragement from the General Director of Central Operations to cooperate on this venture.”
GraceWarn also provides users with the option to alert the owners of parked vehicles if their car needs attention, for example, if the window has been left open unintentionally. The application also contains a feature for drivers to seek out emergency assistance from road users in close proximity.
Following the enthusiastic reception for the application among Sharjah Police, the team of students is now continuing to develop the technology to introduce new features, and hopes that the innovation will be well-received in the forthcoming season of Government smart technology competitions.
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