Cura Halo
Help, at the Height of a Child
The Halo Button is CuraHalo's patent-pending emergency access device for the home: a wall-mounted unit that connects directly to 911 dispatch with a single press, sharing live video, two-way audio, and household context with responders before they arrive. It was born from a deceptively simple observation by founder Reed Rosenberg: young children do not know how to call for help, and the systems adults rely on (phones, apps, alarm panels) assume an adult is the one reaching for them. CuraHalo came to Enki for industrial design guidance and factory sourcing support as they prepared to bring the product to market.
The challenge
The Gap Between Emergency and Response
Home emergency systems have spent decades optimising for the wrong user. Alarm panels sit by the front door behind a code. Smartphones assume the caller can unlock a screen, find the dialler, and stay on the line. Smart speakers need a wake word and a calm voice. None of these work for a six-year-old who has found a parent on the floor, or for an elderly resident who has fallen out of reach of the nightstand. The Halo Button collapses that gap into a single physical action mounted at the point of need. But building a product this simple on the outside demands real discipline on the inside. The device has to connect over Wi-Fi, run on battery, carry a camera with a magnetic Privacy Cover for the moments when nobody needs it, and ship with an adjustable countdown delay (five to thirty seconds) so an accidental press does not summon a fire engine. It also has to feel like it belongs on the wall of a family home, not in a hospital corridor. Reed had the product vision and the patent. What he needed was a team that could help him turn it into a manufacturable object.
The solution
One Press, Full Picture
The Halo Button is built around what CuraHalo calls the Context Layer: a system that bundles household data (exact location, gate and entry codes, household size, resident names, spoken languages, allergies, and medical notes) and delivers it alongside the live audio and video feed the moment a 911 connection opens. Dispatch sees the full picture before a single question is asked, and responders arrive knowing what they are walking into. The hardware itself is a compact wall-mounted puck that ships with two wall cradles, a magnetic Privacy Cover that physically shrouds the camera lens when the device is not in use, an Out-of-Service Cover for maintenance periods, a recharging cord, and a power adapter. The form factor had to read as domestic rather than institutional, which meant the housing, the button profile, and the cradle mounting all needed to feel as considered as a thermostat or a light switch. The interaction design is deliberately reductive: one button, one action, one outcome. There is no menu, no PIN, no screen. A child who can reach the wall can reach help. That simplicity is the product, and every engineering and sourcing decision was made in service of protecting it.
The outcome
What it achieved
Enki supported the design and development of the Halo Button, providing industrial design feedback and guidance through factory sourcing in collaboration with Gembah. Ben Jones and John Sudul worked directly with founder Reed Rosenberg, helping a first-time hardware founder navigate the critical path to manufacture.
“Ben and John have been fantastic to work with. Fast, diligent, and very pleasant throughout the process. Most importantly, patient considering I’ve never developed hardware before. They've made a complex process approachable and always kept things moving. Highly recommend!”
- Reed Rosenberg, Founder | Cura
