Discover Ashirase, Honda’s wearable that pairs a mobile app with in-shoe vibrations to guide people with visual impairments safely through city streets.
© B. Naumkin
Ashirase Inc., a Honda subsidiary, has built an unusual device that turns everyday shoes into a smart navigation aide. The Ashirase system is designed for people with visual impairments and helps them move safely through the city, relying on touch rather than sound. That shift makes the idea feel intuitive and quietly practical.
The setup pairs a mobile app with a vibrating unit placed inside the shoe, connected via Bluetooth. Depending on where you need to go, it delivers tactile prompts: a vibration at the front signals to walk straight ahead; on the right or left, to make a turn; on both sides, to stop.
The project’s creator, Wataru Chino, conceived it after someone close to him was involved in an accident due to the lack of visual cues. Today, Ashirase is already on sale in Japan for 54,000 yen (about US$355) and is emerging as a notable step toward safer, more inclusive mobility.
Honda presents Ashirase as part of its “Your Future Machine” philosophy—an initiative aimed at building technologies that make life simpler and safer. In time, tools like this may become a natural layer of smart cities, helping people move without barriers.