A teenager from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has designed “smart shoes” that use vibration and sound to alert visually impaired people of any hurdles within a radius of 1.2 meters.
Hailing from Swat, 17-year old Wasiullah has developed “smart shoes,” which if commercialized at the national level can influence the lives of visually impaired citizens.
Speaking in this regard, he revealed that his passion for innovation started at a young age when he used to repair and fix damaged battery-operated toys.
Talking about his creation, the teenager said the shoes feature an ultrasonic sensor and Arduino microcontroller. The shoes are programmed in a way that they will issue sound and vibration alerts to the wearer about obstacles.
He added that visually impaired people will no longer need sticks or guides while walking once “smart shoes” go into mass production.
Wasiullah revealed that a pair of “smart shoes” cost about Rs. 4,500. However, he would not be able to fund their mass production because he is also bearing his college expenditures by himself.
His physics teacher, Mohammad Farooq, disclosed that Wasiullah is the most talented student in the college. He added that he had also aimed to develop a wheelchair to help visually impaired people navigate their surroundings smoothly. However, financial limitations restricted Wasiullah from doing so.
He acknowledged that similar shoes are available in a number of countries but their prices are beyond the reach of many visually impaired Pakistani citizens, urging the government to support Wasiullah because his smart shoes are more affordable.
Farooq claimed that Wasiullah has got what it takes to be a top scientist. He only needs proper guidance, coaching, and opportunity to make the country proud on the global stage.
Meanwhile, Director General (DG) at the Directorate General of Science and Technology (DGST) KP, Sajid Shah, has announced to extend necessary support to Wasiullah to seek higher education and start mass production of “smart shoes.”
Sajid Shah has also invited Wasiullah to DGST headquarters in Peshawar where DGST experts will examine the shoes before promoting them for commercial purposes.
