World’s First Haptic SmartShoe: Le Chal


LeChal2A smartshoe has never existed. Although we hear about 'smartphones', 'smartwatches', and 'smartglasses' every day, doesn’t it sound strange to say “smartshoe”? This intelligent footwear, called Le Chal, is primarily for the visually impaired. Le Chal is, thanks to tech duo Anirudh Sharma and Krispian Lawrence from Ducere Technologies, located in India. The concept is a blend of footwear and navigation device, all by receiving signals from GPS-enabled smartphones.

LeChalLe Chal means 'take me along' in Hindi.The footwear is in sync with a smartphone app, which is how Le Chal feeds destination details to the blind or visually impaired. Electronic commands are sent to the user providing directions and alerting to any possible obstacles. Besides guide dogs, electronic sensor canes, and devices that provide audio feedback, there aren't many directional information systems that are haptic enough to be very helpful. In fact, developing countries do not allow guide dogs in public places, and electronic sensor canes do not always work properly in heavy traffic environments. Additionally, audio systems may distract the visually impaired due to their heavy reliance on their sense of hearing.

LeChal1The idea of the Le Chal is to convey proper guidance and obstacle prevention in a non-obtrusive and non-distracting way. Why a shoe? Feet are the most natural extension of the human body, and because shoes naturally point us in the direction we are walking, the relayed information will be more precise. The way it works involves vibrators and actuators located on all sides of the shoe. The device is intended to assist users in finding a particular GPS location. Once a destination has been set via smartphone app, a complete calculation of vibrations guide the route. As expected, the area of vibration on the shoe (left, right, front, or back) determine the way the person should walk. The obstacle sensors help the user guide through situations such as sidewalks, staircases, and elevators. Obstacles may be detected from up to 10-feet away. The user will learn each obstacle alert through the series of vibrations sent from the smartphone app. The first prototype was designed by Sharma in 2011. Le Chal is currently being tested at a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Prevention of Blindness, the LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), located in Hyderabad, India. Surprisingly, the footwear is priced at only $100, with expected market arrival within a month.

Topics: Technology News Gadgets & Peripherals Inventions & Innovations Smartphones & Mobile Devices

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