New 'satnav' shoes to help you find your way home

Deciphering a map on your cell phone when you are lost may soon be passe, thanks to a new type of footwear developed by an Indian start-up.
The footwear uses a Bluetooth link to connect to the mapping system on your mobile phone.
The shoes calculate which routes people should take and sends discreet vibrations to their feet, telling them when they need to take a turn, 'Boston Daily' reported.
'Lechal', meaning 'let's go', will deliver thousands of shoe insoles and customised sneakers to both the visually impaired, as well as runners and other athletes.
According to the company based in Secundarabad, Lechal could be a perfect companion for the "white cane" for blind.

"The main idea is to give a person very subtle feedback about where they are going and in what direction. It's like a poke in your foot and keeps the hands free so they can find obstacles around them," said Anirudh Sharma, co-founder of the company, and student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab.

As a person walks, the shoes vibrate on the side that they want to turn towards.
"So if you want to turn left, it would vibrate on the left side, and a right turn means it would vibrate on the right side," said Sharma.

The shoes co-invented by Sharma and Krispian Lawrence rely on Bluetooth technology to connect to a person's smartphone, and can map out the route to their destination, guiding them with the buzzing feelings on their feet.