Krispian Lawrence (30) and Anirudh Sharma (29) were passionate about contributing to society and it was this passion that drove them to create interactive haptic footwear for the visually impaired. So far, they have launched a shoe and an insole under LeChal, an umbrella brand by Ducere Technologies (the company was also founded by them).

The interactive haptic shoe is available in black colour as well

“According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are an estimated 285 million visually challenged individuals worldwide. Yet, the most-used assistive device — the white cane — has changed little since the 1920s. While it is an effective aid, it falls short with respect to navigation, directions and orientation. Moreover, current assistive devices rely primarily on providing audio feedback. The visually challenged rely heavily on their sense of hearing to acquaint themselves with the environment and may find audio feedback a major distraction. This is where LeChal steps in and attempts to fill the gap,” states Lawrence.