Delivered on August 3, 2026
The era of shoes guiding you: Honda-backed startup "Ashirase" takes on the challenge of supporting the visually impaired and the future of indoor navigation
Speakers:
Ryohei Tokuda, Director and CDO, Ashirase, Inc.
Affiliation and position information is as of the time of distribution
We welcome Mr. Tokuda, Director and CDO of Ashirase Inc., a startup spun off from Honda, as our guest to learn more about "Ashirase," a navigation device that assists the mobility of visually impaired people, and "Indoor Flow," an indoor navigation service. He will explain the unique technology that uses vibrations to convey the direction of travel through a device attached to the shoe, and the mechanism for high-precision position estimation that utilizes VPS and sensor fusion in indoor areas where GNSS is unavailable. Furthermore, we will bring you the cutting edge of location information technology, including a new indoor positioning technology that can be introduced without construction work on the facility side, how to update map data, the status of overseas expansion, and Ashirase's vision of "a society where everyone can move freely."
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The Background and Mission of Ashirase, a Honda-Spun Startup
Ashirase, Inc. is a startup company established in 2021 as the first project of Honda Motor Co., Ltd.'s in-house entrepreneurship support program. The company's founder, Mr. Chino, was inspired by a walking accident involving a visually impaired relative. This experience highlighted the difficulties and dangers of mobility for people with visual impairments, leading him to believe that "walking is also a form of mobility." He leveraged his knowledge of autonomous driving technology to provide walking assistance, which became the starting point for the company's founding. During the development process, he was deeply impacted by the heartfelt voices of those affected who said they had "given up on walking alone." This experience led him to set a mission to go beyond simply providing tools and create a society where everyone can walk freely and confidently on their own.
The Mechanism of Ashirase, a Wearable Device that Guides Intuitively Through Vibration
Ashirase, the company's flagship product, is a navigation device that attaches to shoes and communicates direction through vibrations at the feet. It is equipped with GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) and motion sensors. When you set a destination using the smartphone app, the device connects via Bluetooth and intuitively communicates turning points to your feet by using different vibration patterns and tempos at six points (three on each foot). Since you don't need to hold your smartphone and can reach your destination simply by listening to surrounding sounds and following the foot signals, it combines safety and convenience. Users who are already using it have given it high praise as an indispensable product, and general sales are scheduled to begin in Australia and Europe, as well as Japan, from the end of 2024.
The Innovative Nature of "IndoorFlow," which Achieves High-Precision Indoor Positioning Without Construction
In addition to outdoor mobility assistance, "IndoorFlow" was developed to address the most frequently requested feature from users: "indoor mobility assistance." Until now, indoor navigation has been hampered by the cost of installing expensive infrastructure such as beacons on the facility side, but the biggest feature of this service is that it requires no construction work on the facility side and can be implemented simply by scanning with a smartphone. Leveraging the UX and accessibility expertise cultivated through outdoor navigation, we will extend this knowledge indoors to provide seamless mobility support in areas where GPS signals are unavailable, such as train stations, large commercial facilities, and public buildings.
Advanced Positioning and Map Data Management Technology Utilizing VPS and VLM
IndoorFlow's technological foundation is a unique positioning engine that combines VPS (Visual Positioning System) technology, which extracts features from camera images, with advanced algorithms such as sensor fusion and particle filters. When a user points their smartphone, it matches with pre-scanned celestial cluster data, determining their own position with centimeter-level accuracy even in complex indoor spaces, and providing appropriate route guidance. To maintain the freshness of map data, we are also developing technology that uses AI (VLM: Vision Language Models) to automatically identify and annotate (assign meaning to) the locations of doors and toilets from images. In the future, we aim to build an ecosystem that maintains the latest spatial information by incorporating collaboration with cleaning robots and "civic tech" methods where citizens scan and update data daily.
Inclusive Design Opens the Way to a Society Where "No One Gets Lost"
Ashirase's service is not limited to visually impaired individuals; it employs inclusive design aimed at wheelchair users, those using strollers, and everyone who easily gets lost in unfamiliar places. Multilingual support is standard, enabling it to meet the needs of inbound tourists navigating Japan's complex train stations. By providing an experience where "information can be obtained simply by going to a specific location," it aims to remove the psychological barriers to travel itself, playing a role as infrastructure that enables everyone to participate in society and contributes to expanding the number of people interacting with the world.
Business Sustainability, Smart Glasses Integration, and Future Co-creation with Local Governments
To ensure the sustainability of the service, we are focusing on creating concrete return on investment for facilities, such as reducing the burden of guidance work and decreasing inquiries. Going forward, we aim to strengthen integration with smart glasses, creating a more natural user experience that integrates voice and location information without obstructing vision. We are also working with local governments such as Hiroshima City on urban projects to improve accessibility by digitizing the entire area around train stations. In the retail sector, we envision evolving into a platform that creates new commercial value by generating destinations based on user purchase data and preferences, and linking recommendations and navigation.
Summary
The technology provided by Ashirase, Inc. combines precise positioning technology derived from Honda with human-centered design that addresses the urgent needs of users. Its unique interface of vibration underfoot and VPS technology that can be implemented without construction make "free movement both indoors and outdoors," which was previously difficult, a reality.
Starting with support for the visually impaired, the company's efforts, which encompass wheelchair users, tourists, and even facility management, have the potential to become a next-generation "walking infrastructure" that goes beyond a mere convenience tool. By deepening collaboration with local governments and other businesses and seamlessly overlaying digital guidance onto real-world spaces, it is expected that a richer society will be realized where everyone can go anywhere they want without getting lost.