14 Apr Hi-Tech: Vibrating ‘satnav’ footwear means that you’ll NEVER get lost again
The days of squinting at a map or the screen of your smartphone when you’re lost will soon be over – thanks to new shoes that tell you which way to turn.
The shoes use a Bluetooth link to communicate with your mobile’s mapping system.
The mobile works out which route you should be following and the shoes then emit a discreet vibration in either foot telling you when and where to change direction.
The shoes will also count the number of steps you’ve taken and the calories you’ve burned – and they’ll even buzz to warn you you’ve left your phone behind, or to alert you when you’re travelling past an interesting landmark.
The ‘footnav’ technology, called Lechal, comes either ready-fitted in a Ferrari-red shoe or as an insole that can be slipped into any shoe. Both cost $100.
‘They are as easy to use as a tap on the shoulder,’ said Krispian Lawrence, 30, who developed the shoes with partner Anirudh Sharma, 28, in Hyderabad, India.
‘It’s that intuitive – if someone taps you on the left shoulder, you immediately turn left. This product harnesses that basic instinct.
‘You can even communicate with them using hand gestures and finger snaps because the shoes have sensors that can pick up movement and sound.
‘You can also tell them how many calories you want to burn and they’ll plot the perfect run or cycle.’