Robber Caught by Israeli-developed App

According to its website, home security “is a right, not a privilege” - so it makes sense that the Israeli-operated ‘Salient Eye’ security system is free of charge. This free motion-sensor app utilizes old smartphones to detect unwanted and potentially threatening activity around your home and, as demonstrated by one New Zealand family, it can even catch home intruders.

Salient Eye uses the camera on your old and unwanted smartphone as a motion-sensor, taking photos of intruders as they pass the phone. Those photos and a noisey alert are then sent to warn the homeowner of the intrusion.

Israeli developer Haggai Meltzer came up with the idea after he experienced a home robbery, which is exactly what happened for the Rodrigues family of Wellington, New Zealand. One night, the family’s 3-year-old son reportedly heard someone breaking into their house. The parents were unsure until they saw footprints left behind on another occasion.

Not being able to afford a traditional alarm system, the Rodrigues family installed the Salient Eye app. Sure enough, during the next intrusion, the Rodrigues’ were alerted and able to quickly call the police. The pictures taken by the app were used to identify the robber who was a neighbour of the family.

"Having no money to be able to buy a ‘proper’ system, I stumbled across the app, which allowed me to have a free, immediately available security setup. The app literally helped our whole community," Melissa Rodrigues said.

Salient Eye is available on Google Play.

Read more about Israeli-developed apps here.