I C U

In this smart technology age, who does not want a Smart Home? 

Can we have a home where we know what exactly is going on inside or outside or else what had happened a couple of hours or days earlier?

Smart Camera can help in this regard. 
With smart camera, one can say "I C U" i.e. "I See You" and one may avoid getting admitted in the ICU i.e. Intensive Care Unit.

Let me illustrate with the examples of the following three real cases:

Case-1- The Case of the Missing Gas-Cylinder
We had an extra gas-cylinder that was kept in the ground-floor of our home.
One fine day, we realized that it had disappeared.
This was a clear case of theft.
Who had stolen it? 
There was not even one eye-witness who could share any whodunit detail...

Case-2- The Case of the Missing Mobile Phone
An employee of the office next door arrived about half an hour before the office reopened.
He kept his brand new mobile phone on his desk and went to wash his face.
When he returned, his mobile was no longer there.
This was a clear case of theft.
Who had stolen it? 
There was not even one eye-witness who could share any whodunit detail...

Case-3- The Case of the Gold Chain Snatching
I was watering the plants on the patch I have adopted outside our home.
I felt a hand near my neck.
I turned back to find a stranger already had my gold chain in his hand.
He had a sharp weapon with which he attacked me and slashed my arm.
The cut was from top till my wrist. (The marks still remain).

He then ran to a bike nearby, in which his accomplice was waiting, and they sped off.
This was a clear case of theft.
Who had stolen it? 
Except me, there was not even one eye-witness who could share any whodunit detail...
I wished for a Smart Camera i.e. CCTV or Closed-Circuit Television or video surveillance- in each of the above three cases that could help capture the culprits...

Case-1-
We could never really know who had stolen the gas-cylinder as there was no Smart Camera and hence no home security CCTV footage.

Case-2-
The CCTV footage was examined. The video clip of length 1 minute and 39 seconds showed the story. 

The office had a visitor in the morning, about half an hour before the office opened.
The same person had tried entering my father's office door first. As it was locked, he entered the said office whose door was open. 
The thief then picked the employee's brand new mobile phone and went off.

Case-3-
I visited the police station and registered a first information report (FIR).
The police asked me to submit a medical report. 
They came to our lane and investigated all the CCTV cameras in the neighbourhood in the probable path taken by the chain-snatcher and his accomplice.

The smart camera of one of our neighbours had captured the culprits. The police shared the photograph with me.
I got to refresh my memory.

[If you spot this man in the white check-shirt (the pillion-rider), please do inform me.]

Seeing the theft spike, many of our neighbours have resolved to #GetFitWithFlipkart and usher in a #SmartHomeRevolution.
I guess this is the smart future as we cannot expect that every place is like the village Shani Signapur where there are absolutely no doors, locks and thefts...

I feel the world is our home. Of course 'Charity begins at home'.
For a smart world, a #SmartHomeRevolution is needed. What do you say?
How important is your home's security and your personal safety for you? Do share in the comments below.

Please Note- This post is based on true-life experiences. Chain-snatching is pretty common all over the world. A recent video that I received via WhatsApp shows how dangerous it is for the victims as some of them suffered serious injuries. As per newspaper reports and information shared by the hospital where I got my dressing done, some unfortunate victims like my neighbour had to be hospitalized and some had taken to the ICU too. My neighbour's gold-chain was snatched on the road whle she was riding pillion, which is why she fell on the road, got dragged for some distance & suffered serious injuries. Please be careful if you are wearing gold ornaments.

My intention is simply to warn and spread awareness; not to scare anyone. 

"Forewarned is forearmed".