Lechal Navigational Footwear

As smart phones cement their status as a universal communication device and the pace of technology continues to advance to become a more integral part of everyday life for those with disabilities, innovative new products are being developed to help with everyday tasks. One pioneering company called Ducere Technologies have developed a new footwear range primarily for blind or visually impaired users that tells the wearer which direction to go on a pre-defined route.

Entitled ‘Lechal’ the range consists of both insoles and shoes whilst the design utilises so-called haptic technology that provides tactile feedback and recreates the sense of touch for the wearer. Using a smartphone app a route could be planned in advance which would then communicate with the shoes via Bluetooth. The shoes would then vibrate left or right depending on the direction in which they needed to turn to complete their journey.

Whilst originally designed with blind or visually impaired people in mind there are other functions that could prove useful for the user interested in monitoring their physical activity. For example the shoes can also provide calorie counting and heart rate monitoring.

Founders Krispian Lawrence and Anirudh Sharma started the company, based in Hyderabad, in 2011 to design wearable technology and has quickly become India’s leader in this field The name Lechal too has an interesting background since it literally means ‘take me along’ in Hindi. Attracting the attention from a number of investors the company has raised $2million with plans to raise even more with additional investment.

The technology is also powered by the world’s first interactive charger which will give feedback on charging status when fingers are snapped and can also power smart phones through a USB charger.

Proceeds from the sale of each pair of Lechal footwear will also go towards subsidising a pair for someone who is visually-challenged.

The shoes are available to pre-order on the company’s website www.lechal.com and will retail for around £60 to £90. They are expected to be available later on this year.

Below is a short promotional video of the shoes in action.