A Shoe For The Visually Impaired That Vibrates To Show Them The Right Path

He Designed A Shoe For The Visually Impaired That Vibrates To Show Them The Right Path 

Anirudh Sharma along with his friend Krispian Lawrence has designed a shoe that can assist the visu-ally impaired in navigating easily from one place to another. The shoe can be connected to the user’s smartphone through Bluetooth and vibrates according to the directions to the destination.

The Genesis

This Delhi boy never befriended books. It was machines that attracted him and held his attention. Sharma’s various projects at college level won him and his team several awards, which gave a boost to his confidence.

Fascinated with experimentation, one night he installed a vibrator in a friend’s shoe just out of curiosity and this was the seed that grew into “Le Chal”.

He designed a prototype and went to Hyderabad to set up his own company with a friend. “Le Chal” received instant attention and he was invited by someone from MIT to pursue a course there.

“I was lucky enough to get a seat at MIT in spite of not having a degree. It was my passion that led me here,” he says. After finishing his studies at MIT and working there for a year, he returned to India to give shape to his brainchild “Le Chal” which was officially launched in 2014 and now the shoe line is up for sale.

How does it work?

The shoes contain an electronic module that includes a vibrating unit, a chip and a removable and re-chargeable battery.
It will lead the user to the desired destination by notifying him or her about the turns. A left or right turn would be indicated by a vibration on that particular side of the shoe. The vibration will only guide on the turns and show the route to the destination.

The interesting design of the shoes is a plus point which is attracting a lot of non-blind customers as well. The Le Chal team has also designed Polyurethane insoles which can be used in any pair of shoes, as fitness trackers to record the number of steps taken and calories burnt.

The shoes are currently available in the price range of $100 and can be ordered from LeChal website. “I am a believer of technology and I would like to put this technique out in the open for other people to use and replicate,” Sharma says

From an “incomplete engineer” to an innovator and INK fellow,
Anirudh Sharma sets an example of how passion can take you places. If you actually believe in something, things like money and a professional degree don’t really matter.