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MUMBAI — With a new pair of shoes, looking down at your smartphone for directions while walking could become unnecessary.
Lechal shoes and soles are Bluetooth enabled and connect to Google Maps, letting users input a destination on their smartphone so they can receive directions through vibrations in their shoes while on the move, according to the company’s blog.
“We initially designed Lechal to help visually impaired (people) with mobility through unobtrusive means, but soon realized that this innovation can be useful for everyone,” the blog reads.
The technology will be available in both ready-made shoes and insoles that can be inserted into other shoes people already own. Those taking a stroll while wearing the technology will feel vibrations in their shoes to let them know where to go. For example, a vibration in the right shoe means the user should turn right.
Other foot gestures would let users pause the navigation and save favorite locations. Lechal means “take me along” in Hindi, according to the company’s website.
The creators of Lechal are marketing the footwear to a general audience as a fitness device, but originally designed the product as an aid for people who are visually challenged and rely on a cane for walking.
“The most-used assistive device, the white cane, has changed little since the 1920s,” a statement on the company website reads. “The white cane, while an effective aid, falls short with respect to navigation, directions and orientation.”
The creators said they hope the footwear becomes a companion to the cane. The company partnered with the LV Prasad Eye Institute in Hyderabad, India, to subsidize the cost of the footwear for customers who are visually impaired.
The shoes and insoles are not available for purchase yet, but those who are interested can submit a pre-order form on the Lechar website.
