LeChal: Hi-tech Shoes That Show the Route

LeChal: Hi-tech Shoes That Show the Route

Technology is beautiful, especially when it comes to the aid of the differently abled. For instance, with LeChal, visually impaired people can travel anywhere without guidance from others. LeChal is basically a smart shoe that harnesses the visually challenged’s heightened senses of touch. It enables them to travel by themselves with the help of vibrational patterns on their feet. This haptic-driven smart shoe has been produced by Secunderabad-based Ducere Technologies.

How a thought took shape

The LeChal package

Back in 2012, Krispian Lawrence and Anirudh Sharma, two tinkerers with the common objective to help the visually challenged, came up with the idea of a smart shoe. The fact that the visually challenged are gifted with heightened senses of touch and hearing became their basis for designing something that could intuitively guide the user through gentle vibratory feedback by connecting to the directions set on a map. The thought process started in May 2012. In July of the same year, Sharma went ahead for further education, while Lawrence drove the project. The product was ready in 2016 and called ‘LeChal.’

“LeChal as a concept came about as a solution to allowing one’s senses to be utilised in the most efficient way. The thought led to identifying how to help the visually impaired to navigate in a way that their sense of touch (walking stick) or their sense of hearing (audio guidance) are not compromised,” explains Lawrence. The first shipment of the product was made in July 2016. The four years in between were utilised for development, prototyping and upgradations to bring out what LeChal is today.

Against all odds

Being a hardware product start-up, Ducere Technologies faced challenges different from software developers and service providers, in addition to the pressure of venturing into an unexplored field. The hardware ecosystem is not conducive for startups in India. So, putting together a team of people with compatible talent and ready to work for a startup project took much effort. Adding to the troubles was limited funding. The project was bootstrapped until it received angel funds. Despite all these hardships, the company has grown to become 120-employee strong today and drives sales through its own website as well as online and offline retail partners.

Team LeChal

How LeChal works

Before getting into the basics of LeChal, let’s first explain in simple words how haptic technologies work. Haptic technologies take data from a source and use tactile (touch-based) sensors to respond to it in the form of vibrations or touch-based sensations on the user. LeChal follows this basic principle to work.
LeChal has three iterations: the complete shoe form, a pair of insoles with a pair of sensor pods, and only the pods. The pods contain the main haptic sensors. These can either be buckled to the existing shoe-laces of the user or inserted into the insoles provided by LeChal that replace the existing insoles of the user’s shoes. The sensors connect to the user’s smartphone via Bluetooth. Users need to download the LeChal mobile application on their smartphone or tablet. The application provides a GPS (map) interface to set the desired destination via touchscreen or even via voice command, powered by the LeChal assist service. It connects to the Bluetooth-linked pods and relays data to generate haptic sensations.
The pods feed the navigation data in real time as the user starts travelling, and send signals in the form of various vibratory patterns to indicate directions of travel. For example, gentle vibrations on the left leg imply left turn and vibrations on the right leg imply right turn. Vibration patterns can be customised as per the convenience of the user.
Most importantly, maps can be downloaded and saved to the phone or tablet before use and the connection is Bluetooth driven (as mentioned before), so there is no problem of poor network connectivity or data unavailability.

How LeChal works

Expanding horizons

Initially aimed for the visually challenged, LeChal is finding other consumers as well. Lawrence states, “At this point, along with the visually challenged, our product has proven to be appealing to people who travel a lot. Fitness enthusiasts also show a keen interest in the product because of the extremely accurate measurement of fitness metrics. Last but not the least, we have managed to captivate the imagination of technophiles as well.”
The product has caught the eyes of enterprises also, collaborating with brands like Netherlands-based Hi Tec., and won acclaims and awards at global level. Presently, there are 24 patents on trademark applications for the product. Plans are afoot to improve LeChal in terms of comfort of use, features and functionality.

Where to find it

Priced at ₹ 6999, LeChal can be purchased from the company’s official website. It is also available on e-commerce stores like Amazon and retail stations like Croma. According to the company, over 10,000 units have been sold till now. So, take a break from constantly looking at your phone’s screen to know which way to go. After all, products like LeChal are eyes to your feet.

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Turn any Shoes into Smart Shoes with Lechal GPS Insoles

Turn any Shoes into Smart Shoes with Lechal GPS Insoles

Smart shoes are getting some traction in the market and this has lead most of us to go and hunt for one. But unlike smartwatch and trackers, one cannot change the bands and has to wear the same shoes every time. Well, Lechal smart insoles are here to solve this problem by developing an insole that will make any shoes smart. This means that you can swap the insoles from one shoe to another without worrying about buying multiple smart shoes and at the outset, this seems like a wise and economic option. Wondering what Lechal means, well it means “take me along” in Hindi.

The Lechal insoles make use of GPS, haptic feedback along with an array of other sensors in order to determine your fitness level and also show the places you have been to. That’s not all, by pairing the soles with the app one can also get signals on where to go, this means that you no more need to pull out your phone to access the GPS. This is how the guidance works, in case you are supposed to take a left turn the insole sends specific vibrations to your feet. The vibrations are unique for each type of signals including turns and rerouting.


Moreover, the app also lets you set milestones or checkpoints and after crossing each one of them the soles will vibrate. This feature will go a long way in motivating the users to achieve fitness goals. Also, you can download offline maps and use the entire functionality of the GPS features without having to rely on connectivity. The companion app also lets you mark certain places of interest while you are taking your morning walk or maybe you can share the coordinates with your friends. In a nutshell, the Lechal Insoles records your exact path of travel and will also ensure you can do many things en route. One can charge the inserts by plugging in a USB cable.



Beyond the tracking functionality the soles also offer step count, calories burnt, and a notification for every milestone you set. The maker of Lechal insoles touts the step counter feature as very accurate and if it says 10,000 steps it means 10,000 steps. The Lechal Smart Insoles are already up on the Amazon Launchpad and can be purchased at $180 (Rs 6,999) a pair. The companion app is available for both iOS and Android.

Lechal insoles use GPS, haptic feedback to make any pair of shoes smart

Lechal insoles use GPS, haptic feedback to make any pair of shoes smart





Smart shoes are a small market right now. As a result, you may be hard-pressed to find a pair that fits your style. And wearing different shoes to match an outfit means you lose the smart features. The Lechal smart insoles solve that problem by allowing you to transfer the brains from shoe to shoe. Now you can stay connected no matter the attire.

Lechal insoles use haptic feedback and GPS technology to keep you going in the right direction, show you where you’ve been, track your fitness levels, and more. By connecting with the Lechal app on your phone, your feet can tell you where to go as the app sends specific vibrations to your foot. This means less time staring at your phone, and more time focused on the world around you.

More: Pair Lechal with these smart shoes for the ultimate piece of tech

For instance, as you approach an upcoming turn, a slight vibration in your left or right foot will tell you all you need to know. There are unique vibration patterns for different kinds of turns and even for rerouting. With the app, you can also set specific waypoints along the route. As you reach each destination, the insoles will notify you. They can also be used offline to download maps beforehand. This is extremely helpful when going on a hike or traveling abroad.

Lechal insoles can also be used in tandem with the app to record data. See something of interest along the way? You can tag these locations for later use or send a location directly to a friend for a meetup. Or maybe you found a new trail or faster walk through the city. You can record the exact path for future excursions.

Another great use for the insole is tracking fitness. Set a goal using the Lechal app for any distance, step count, or calories to burn. The insoles will vibrate once you’ve reached your goal. As a step counter, you can’t get much more accurate than a sensor under your foot. When it says 10,000 steps, it means 10,000 steps.

You can purchase the Lechal Smart Insoles from the Amazon Launchpad program. Each pair of insoles are unisex and can be purchased for $180. The associated app can be downloaded for any iOS or Android device.

LECHAL teams up with Amazon Launchpad for retail launch in India

Lechal unisex insoles, one of its kind wearable technology product that is GPS navigated, is now available on Amazon Launchpad at Rs 6,999.

Lechal, the world’s first haptic-based interactive footwear, announced its partnership with Amazon Launchpad, a platform for startups to launch, market, and distribute their products to hundreds of millions of customers across the globe.

Lechal unisex insoles, one of its kind wearable technology product that is GPS navigated, is now available on Amazon Launchpad at Rs 6,999. Taking you to the future of footwear, Lechal reminds you your direction, keeps a record for your route and checks your fitness levels. The stylish smart insoles can slip into footwear like any other. By pairing the insoles with the Lechal app to Here Maps via Bluetooth, the user can set a destination and receive directions via haptic vibrations on his/her feet making any journey truly hands-free. The Lechal app is available on both android & IOS.

Speaking on the partnership with Amazon, Krispian Lawrence, founder and CEO Ducere Technologies said “It gives us immense pleasure to be a part of the Amazon Launchpad program. Lechal has been innovatively designed to offer something distinctive and redefine the way we navigate our world. We anticipate that this platform will help bring the product to a wider audience.”

Amazon Launchpad is a platform where customers can discover unique innovations from the world’s brightest startups. Amazon  has worked with leading venture capital firms, startup accelerators and crowd-funding platforms to help more than 500 startups to launch over 1500 cutting-edge products in the US, UK, Germany, France, China and Mexico.

“We are very excited to provide the Amazon Launchpad platform to Ducere Technologies to launch Lechal in India. Amazon Launchpad is a specially tailored program that helps start-ups like Ducere Technologies to showcase their unique and exciting products to millions of Amazon customers in India as well as globally. With Amazon Launchpad, we hope to augment the innovation culture among the Indian youth, support the Indian government’s Start-up India initiative and help build the India story,” says Jason Feldman, Director Global Innovations, Amazon.