Editors’ Note: This feature appears as it was published in the spring 2017 edition of UT Dallas Magazine. Titles or faculty members listed may have changed since that time.
Terrell Bennett MS’07, PhD’16 with sons
For a child and parent alike, it can be terrifying to be separated from each other in a public place.
Terrell Bennett MS’07, PhD’16 is looking to eradicate that fear.
As chief technology officer for the startup Le Vise Products LLC, Terrell has fashioned a new wearable device called “The Joey Tag,” designed to alert parents of children’s location.
“Parents get an alert on their smartphone,” he explained, “which gives the parents peace of mind and the kids room to play.”
As the father of two sons, Terrell understands how easy it is for family members to get distracted and disconnected in busy places such as stadiums or amusement parks.
“I wanted to make sure my sons are safe, but I can’t just hold their hands 90 percent of the time.”
Terrell said he became interested in the internet of things as a UTD electrical engineering student, and how technology could make our world a smarter, safer place.
After joining Le Vise Products, Terrell began to construct the new device, which was launched successfully on Kickstarter in 2016. Terrell said the company expects to start shipping orders this year.
