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Lechal, a smart shoe that vibrates to take you to your destination
You must have gotten used to the idea of wearing glasses or a watch connected to your smartphone by now. But Indian startup Ducere Technologies Pvt wants to take this wearable computing story to a new level — and it's a low level, at your feet. The company will start selling the Lechal, a smart shoe that connects to your cell phone using Bluetooth in September.
Lechal's main differential is to help you reach your destination. Put where you want to go in the Google Maps app and the shoes vibrate separately telling you where to turn left or right. From the promotional video, you can see that he also works as a physical activity monitor.
Despite targeting the general public, tennis can greatly help a specific group: the visually impaired. Krispian Lawrence, CEO of Ducere, spoke about this to the Wall Street Journal's India Real Time blog:
Ducere initially developed the shoes — named Lechal, which in Hindi means “take me” — to help blind people who rely on canes. The cane can help the visually impaired detect obstacles, but it cannot tell which way to go or when to turn. “That's where we come in to fill this void,” says Lawrence.
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While testing the shoes, the company realized the potential of the product for people without vision problems. For example, runners, cyclists and even tourists can enter their destinations and not have to stop to check their phones as they walk, as the vibrations in their shoes tell them which way to turn.
The sneakers should hit the market in September, for around US$ 150. Those who don't like the model can buy the insoles separately, with all the functions. And you there, thinking you'd never put something technological on your feet again after those sneakers that blinked when you stepped on when you were a kid (and loved).
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