Growing Footprint
FWHY HE WON Harnessed technology to make interactive footwear that can be used by the abled as well as differently abled alike
or Krispian Lawrence, 34, and Anirudh Sharma, 31, both engineers educated abroad, a start-up for unobtrusive and user-friendly wearable technology innovations offered an immense challenge.
Ducere Technologies, which they founded in 2011, offers the world’s first interactive haptic footwear, branded LeChal or take me along in Hindi. The footwear has insoles with pods that can connect to phones via Bluetooth and the Lechal app that uses Google Maps for directions. Removable sensors embedded with two rechargeable lithium batteries help users navigate crowded, noisy streets through vibrations and sensations. A one-time charge gives a month-long battery life.
Ducere has sold 12,000 pairs till now in 75 countries. Selling at Rs 6,999, it has teamed up with Amazon in India. Starting off as an academic project from a small apartment room, it now has the capacity to make 20,000 pairs a month at its Secunderabad facility, which it plans to take up to one million pairs a year.
The company’s assembly line work force consists of differently-abled persons who have been given extensive training. Ducere is also collaborating with eye institutes for feedback from the visually impaired to ensure it pursues a holistic approach to product development.