Tag Archives: Smart Shoes

Lechal Bluetooth-Enabled Shoes Are One Step Ahead of Other Wearables

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Lechal Bluetooth Enabled Footwear

What if in order to quantify ourselves, we used something that feels natural for us, instead of strapping annoying smartwatches or bands to our wrists? Smart footwear does not add any extra weight, but has all the functionality you would expect from a fitness tracker.

A lot of beautifully-designed (not to mention innovative) things are coming these days from China and India, in an attempt to prove that there are plenty of talented designers and inventors beyond Scandinavia. One of the latest examples is the Bluetooth-enabled smart footwear created by Indian startup Ducere Technologies Pvt. Lechal, as these shoes are called, sync with a smartphone app in order to point the wearer in the right direction. On top of that, these smart shoes also act as a fitness tracker.

Lechal co-founder Krispian Lawrence explained that “The shoes are a natural extension of the human body. You will leave your house without your watch or wristband, but you will never leave your house without your shoes.” I couldn’t agree more!

The direction is pointed out with the help of vibrations that are enabled in the right or the left shoe, depending on where the runner should be headed next. How do the shoes know the right path? The smartphone app they sync with is based on Google Maps, so assuming that you have a data plan, Lechal will know which way is home. The developers admit that these smart shoes were initially developed for visually-impaired people, so that they know how to reach a specific destination. In the meantime, however, the company changed its target audience from this category to people who enjoy jogging or even sprinting. I’d say that the design of these smart shoes make them more appropriate for such activities, but that doesn’t mean that the blind couldn’t benefit from their advantages.

This Bluetooth-enabled footwear also doubles as a fitness tracker. In other words, the shoes can calculate the covered distance and the burned calories. Besides that, what better way to count steps than a shoe? Assuming they pack the necessary sensors, Lechal shoes could be the perfect pedometer.

If the developers keep their promise and launch these smart shoes in September at under $100, they will definitely be a hit among people who love sports.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about the washable sock that tracks workouts, and the SuperShoes that vibrate to show you the way home.

SuperShoes Vibrate to Show You the Way Home

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Smart Shoes

In terms of smart devices, the world was a bit short on footwear. Luckily for us, some MIT scientists created a pair of smart shoes that use vibrations to lead you to your destination.

Let’s set things straight, the destination doesn’t necessarily have to be your home, but that’s where people go to most often, so owning a pair of shoes similar to the ones of Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz makes a lot of sense. Think about it! Smartphones and tablets featuring GPS sensors and software are great, but the battery life of these devices is awful, so some smart shoes with a better autonomy could literally save lives.

These vibrating smart shoes connect via Bluetooth to your smartphone. A proprietary app must be installed in order to enter the destination. After doing that, you will have to knock your heels three times and… No, I”m just kidding about that! In fact, there’s nothing you need to do after that, except for walking. The shoes vibrate when you need to turn left or right (I’m assuming that only the shoe corresponding to the direction vibrates), and you’re also going to know when you’re on the right track. This way, you’ll be able to enjoy your walk without having to check the smartphone’s screen every other second.

SuperShoes are less inconspicuous than smartphones and tablets, so if you happen to walk in the bad side of the town, people with bad intentions won’t even be able to tell that you’re wearing hi-tech footwear. There are also other reasons why tablets and smartphones equipped with GPS sensors are not safe to use while walking. For example, holding a smart device in front of you while walking could lead to you bumping into walls or other persons. If you use such a thing while crossing the street, the consequences could be even more serious than that.

The bad news is that SuperShoes are nothing but a prototype right now, and as much as we’d like to wear these vibrating smart shoes, it might take a while till the scientists who developed them will push them to mass production. Hopefully, we’ll get to see them on the shelves in the not-so-distant future, and that not at an exorbitant price.

Be social! Follow Walyou on Facebook and Twitter, and read more related stories about the No Place Like Home GPS shoes and the smartphone-assisted sports shoes.