Photo Via Andrey Armyagov/PhotoSpin
Four college students at North Carolina State University are developing a nail polish that changes colors when it detects date-rape drugs.
Ankesh Madan, Stephen Gray, Tasso Von Windheim and Tyler Confrey-Maloney (all materials science and engineering majors) created the nail polish company called "Undercover Colors." When the nail polish comes in contact with common date-rape drugs including Rohypnol, Xanax and GHB, it will change color.
Undercover Colors is still under development and is calling itself "The First Fashion Company Empowering Women To Prevent Sexual Assault." According to a 2014 White House report, one in five women have been sexually assaulted while in college.
"We wanted to focus on preventive solutions, especially those that could be integrated into products that women already use," Madan said in an interview with Higher Education Works. "All of us have been close to someone who has been through the terrible experience [date rape], and we began to focus on finding a way to help prevent the crime."
For a woman to see if a drug has been added to her drink, she must touch the liquid or stir the drink with her finger so the nail polish comes in contact with the drug.
Earlier this year, Undercover Colors participated in the K50 Startup Showcase and won $100,000 from an investor. They also won $11,250 at North Carolina State's Lulu eGames, an entrepreneurship initiative where students create solutions for real world challenges.
To learn more about Undercover Colors and stay updated on the product, visit: http://www.undercovercolors.com/.