The visually-impaired face a tough challenge in day-to-day life. From moving in and out their homes to buying items from a shop to even taking a walk – every day comes with a series of obstacles that must be overcome that sighted persons may barely notice.

However, as is the case with many things in the current world, technology is often the gamechanger. And this is exactly what the ‘Smart Blind Shoe’ innovation hopes to be.

“I saw a visually-impaired man in a medicine shop. He was struggling to move around as he had lost his cane. That day I realised how difficult things could be for visually-impaired people and was inspired to innovate to help them. That is how the idea of the ‘Smart Blind Shoe’ came to my mind,” says Tushar from the Atal Tinkering Lab of Delhi Public School, NTPC Vidyutnagar.

Tushar and his team have been working on the shoe for close to two years. The innovation uses GPS technology and a camera to help the visually-impaired navigate safely. The camera monitors the route and informs users when there is an obstacle.

This feature is hoped to be very helpful for the visuallyimpaired, especially when they are travelling to new locations.

“We also have a remote for users if they get lost on the way. With just the press of a button, the device will notify the family members about the whereabouts of the user,” says Tushar.

“Innovation requires a lot of time, effort, and patience. Never lose hope when you don’t get the desired results immediately and want to drop your idea. Give yourself some time to solve the problems. And when you finally find the solution, you will feel immensely satisfied that you have done something great to help others in the world,” adds Tushar’s teammate Anirudh Sharma.