Photo/Illutration Wataru Chino (Photo by Akiko Suzuki)

Wataru Chino came up with the idea of “embedding braille information in footwear” after learning that bicycles left on tactile paving created obstacles for visually impaired pedestrians.

Based on that idea, Chino, 36, developed the Ashirase walk support system, which involves a flexible motor-mounted device inserted into shoes.

Those with seeing problems enter their destinations on a specialized smartphone app, and the device in the shoes guides them mainly with vibrations.

An oscillation on the right instep, for example, tells wearers to “turn right” at the next corner. The vibration rhythm informs the users of the distance to the corner.

Long a vehicle lover, Chino, an engineer, entered Honda Motor Co. in 2008 and was involved in the development of self-driving and other technologies.

But he became fully aware of the dangers of walking after his wife’s grandmother fell into a river and drowned in 2018.

“I had long been devoted to developing automobiles with an eye on safety, but I realized that walking could also be dangerous,” Chino said. “I was aware that walking also constitutes a part of mobility.”

Chino left Honda and created the mechanical assistant.

It is scheduled for release by year-end for about 25,000 yen ($206). The app’s usage fee is expected to be around 2,000 yen a month.

Chino said he has heard visually impaired people say they “have already given up going to new places.” He has also seen many such people become nervous on trains and buses.

“I want them to listen to music and nod off aboard trains,” he said. “The vibrations in the footwear will signal when they have arrived at the stations where they will exit.”

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