Tokyo - Honda Motor Co., Ltd. established a Startup from IGNITION named Ashirase, Inc.,. Ashirase, Inc. is currently developing a navigation system inside the shoe to support the visually impaired when walking. This navigation system is planned to go on sale on March 31, 2023.
Ashirase is a navigation system from a smartphone application and a 3D vibration device, including a motion sensor built into the shoe. The way this system works is that when a route is set up with the app, the device vibrates to provide navigation.
Wataru Chino, Representative Director of Ashirase, Inc., said, “The accident experienced by one of my family members motivated me to take action to achieve safer and freer mobility for the blind.”
Ashirase's main features include guidance information for visually impaired users based on the position information of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), which is a system for determining positioning, navigation, and satellite timing based on the user's foot movements.
Navigation is provided via vibrations in the feet, so it doesn't interfere with the user's hand holding the stick or the ear used to listen to ambient sounds. In addition, the vibrator is located parallel to the nerve layer of the foot making it easier to feel vibrations. (LM)