First haptic shoes

Acting like a sat‑nav for pedestrians, Indian wearable technology company Lechal retails "smart" shoes which use haptics to steer users in the right direction. They direct the wearer via gentle vibrations emitted from two 22-gram (0.77-ounce) “pods” clipped to the footwear or set into the insoles, which connect via Bluetooth to an associated app on a GPS-enabled smartphone. First invented by IT engineer Anirudh Sharma (India) back in 2011 – and winning him an MIT Tech Review TR35 Innovator of the Year award in 2012 – the shoes were principally conceived as a mobility aid for the visually impaired, but are now marketed as equally useful for anyone seeking a map-free means of navigation. "Le chal" translates as "Take me along" in Hindi.