Lechal is an original product created by Ducere Technologies, a startup company from India. It is a pair of smart vibrating shoes that provide navigation aid, making the wearer independent from using a GPS. At first glance, it may look like a simple and ordinary pair of running shoes. Once worn, the pair becomes an indispensable buddy in walking. It knows how to communicate to a smartphone by sending messages through Bluetooth technology. It even integrates with Google Maps for providing additional direction.
The vibrating smart shoe is originally concocted to aid those who are visually-impaired by using it to work hand in hand with a cane. While on the development phase, the company explored more possibilities and discovered that the shoes could benefit other types of wearer.
Apart from telling the wearer if he should either turn left or turn right, the shoes can also provide information on an upcoming landmark or other notable spots. If the shoes feel that they're losing signal connection with the smartphone, they start vibrating as well.
The team from Ducere had designed the product with a number of fitness applications such as calorie monitoring and total distance travelled. Bikers and joggers would also benefit from the smartshoes' quick direction feature which is absolutely more convenient than getting it from their phones.
Co-founder Krispian Lawrence explains that the smartshoes are meant to be worn more often than the other wearables available in the market.
"You will leave your house without your watch or wristband, but you will never leave your house without your shoes," adds Lawrence.
Lechal, which translates as "take me there," seem to be going places and has already achieved an impressive pre-order record of 25,000. Wearers have two options on how to maximize the shoes' full benefits. They can choose to wear the shoes or they can use the removable insoles and place them inside their more preferred footwear.
The technology behind the Lechal smartshoes and their removable insoles is sync ready with both Android and iPhone devices. The insole's charge status can be identified by a simple snap of one fingers. However, the duration of the charge is still undisclosed.
"By using smartphones and apps I found myself missing out on the beauty of wandering around," Dhairya Dand, the smartshoes' inventor, says. "There's nothing better than shoes for solving this - they're the interface between your body and the ground, they're how you connect to the city."
The smartshoes are scheduled to hit stores in September and are said to carry a price range of $100 to $150. Available colors are red and black.
