Smart Shoes to Go with Your Smart Phone

Imagine being able to walk around town, any town, like you have always lived there—no tell-tale signs of looking down at a map or referencing a handheld GPS tracking device. Now, imagine being visually impaired and having the same ability to navigate the streets. You no longer have to just imagine; the reality is here. Ducere Technologies, an India-based company, just announced that it is ready to launch the Lechal shoe, the newest thing in footwear to help strangers feel at home anywhere they go.

About the Company

In 2011, two friends came together to change the world. They started Ducere Technologies because they wanted to use their skills to solve problems and improve life, especially for the visually impaired. Krispian Lawrence studied at the University of Michigan and worked in Silicon Valley for six years, while Anirudh Sharma graduated from MIT and was a researcher at the Hewlett-Packard Labs in Bangalore, India. These two bright young men set out to design a shoe that could synchronize with the GPS receivers used in smart phones and tablets thereby keeping the users hands free. Once into the project, they realized that their creation would benefit athletes and trainers as well. The company’s ultimate goal, though, is to help the blind and visually impaired improve their lives; in fact, they promise to donate a pair of Lechal shoes to a visually impaired person for every pair bought by a non-impaired person.

About the Need

There are an estimated 37 million blind people in the world today, almost half of whom live in India, home of Ducere Technologies and its founders. In a country with more than 15 million blind people, there is only one ophthalmologist for every 100,000 people. It is no wonder that Lawrence and Sharma saw a need they felt they could meet using the newest global positioning system technology. Without vision, it is very difficult to get around. The blind have had to keenly develop their other senses and learn to depend on them, familiarizing themselves with their most common surroundings. They use canes, especially the “white cane” of the blind, to help them navigate around obstacles. Some use guide dogs that have been trained to alert their owners to dangers and hazards. None of these methods gives the visually impaired a sense of freedom, but Ducere hopes to provide some of that with their new GPS-enabled shoes and inserts.

About the Shoe

You may wonder where the name Lechal came from. Lechal is the Hindi word for “take me there,” a very appropriate name for these haptic shoes. What does haptic mean? The dictionary definition of haptic is “of or relating to the sense of touch.” That’s just what these shoes do—they buzz the user’s foot to let him know what direction to take. Lawrence describes them as “very intuitive.” The idea is based on the fact that we instinctively turn in direct response to a stimulus. Remember the old trick of tapping someone on one shoulder while you stand behind the other shoulder? The person automatically turns to the side he was tapped on, and we get a good laugh. It works every time. The shoes work in the same way. Once a location is placed in a GPS tracking device, the shoes take over and simply produce a light buzz in the appropriate foot whenever a turn needs to be made.

• Shoe features: The shoe is both stylish and comfortable with sensors built directly into the shoe while the battery fits in the heel. It is also fitted and waterproof. It is not only antibacterial but also washable; just make sure to take the battery out first. Though there is only one style right now, developers are working on styles to fit the formal occasion and the casual as well as the athletic.


• Insert features: Made of the same durable polymer materials, the inserts work just like the shoes and fit inside most types of shoes. They cost the same as the shoes and can be easily moved from one pair of shoes to another.


• Battery features: The shoe’s lithium-polymer battery holds a three-day charge and emits an audio tone to indicate the battery’s charge level. It comes with a two-battery USB charger that responds to audio cues such as snapped fingers.


• Extra features: The shoe’s sensors will buzz if you leave your phone behind, and they will buzz as you near points of interest; just check your phone’s app and GPS coordinates to see what the attraction is. The shoes can also count calories and steps for those looking to stay fit.

Though still in the infancy stage, Lechal shoes promise hope to the visually impaired and adventure for anyone willing to go there. At just $100, these shoes are not much more expensive than your everyday, walk about town shoes, but have far more potential. GPS devices have come a long way and just keep us marching into the future.

Smart Shoes to Go with Your Smart Phone