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By Marina Correa Photography: Courtesy Ducere Technologies Developed by two young Indian techies Krispian Lawrence and Anirudh Sharma, Lechal, is the world’s first interactive haptic footwear that began as an innovation for the visually impaired but is applicable to everyone… Focused on making wearable technology non-obtrusive and intuitive, this shoe-smart phone navigation device is controlled via the phone’s volume controls making it extremely convenient. So how does it work? An app loaded on a smartphone pairs with the footwear via Bluetooth. The user interacts with the app to set a destination and based on haptic navigational system, the footwear guides the user there through simple vibrations. For instance, if the user needs to go left, he will feel a vibration in his left shoe. The app fetches the local map of the area while GPS tracks the person’s location in real-time, telling the actuator to vibrate, when it is time to turn. Besides its use in navigation, Lechal can also be used as a fitness tracking system - to count steps, track calories and create interactive workouts. “You can also go on a trek, discover new places and never get lost,” assures Krispian. Taking intuitiveness to a new level, the footwear allows a user to tag locations and set destinations by using gestures like tapping one’s foot. The footwear also ensures that you never leave your phone behind. So what is the inspiration behind these tech-savvy, stylishly designed shoes? Tinkerers and design geeks at heart, the partners believe that technology should be integrated into one’s life without the hassle of being a device. It is with this belief their firm, Ducere Technologies innovates to develop one disruptive product after another. Talking about maintenance, the material used for the shoes and insoles is antibacterial and washable, but do remember to remove the electronics chip first. Also, the shoes come with a USB charger that responds to finger snaps, by emitting an audio tone indicative of the charge level. Finally, as their dream was to create a navigational tool to help the blind, the offer is: for every pair of shoes (priced at $100) sold, a subsidized pair will be offered to the blind at $50! Lechal footwear is available for pre-order from March 7,2014 on its website www.lechal.com to view images click on inditerrain.indiaartndesign.com
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