Mumbai-based early-stage assistive mobility venture ClearWay Mobility has introduced a smart device designed to be added to the standard white cane used by visually impaired people. The product aims to provide obstacle alerts without requiring users to change their existing canes or rely on smartphones.
Developed by 17-year-old Jaiveer Talwar, a student at The Cathedral & John Connon School in Mumbai, the device fits onto a standard white cane. It alerts users to obstacles in their path through vibration, with optional audio feedback. The project has been designed around affordability, reliability, and ease of use, operating independently without requiring an app or smartphone.
The concept originated as a school science-fair project in 2021 when Talwar sought to address the mobility difficulties faced by visually impaired individuals navigating busy urban environments like Mumbai. In 2024, he completed an internship with a prosthetics company to gain practical exposure to assistive technologies and mobility challenges.
In 2026, a revised version of ClearWay was tested with students and teachers at the Smt. Kamla Mehta Dadar School for the Blind in Mumbai. Feedback from these tests emphasized the importance of simplicity and reliability in everyday use. Additionally, to address safety concerns raised during school visits regarding visually impaired young women, the current version incorporates GPS tracking to enable family members to check a user's location when needed.
"What started as a school project became something I wanted to keep working on once I understood how real the problem was," said Jaiveer Talwar. "The most useful learning has come from speaking to users and seeing what actually matters in everyday use."
ClearWay Mobility has now entered the manufacturing stage, with an initial batch currently being produced. The next phase of operations will focus on refining the product through further user feedback, collaborating with institutions on wider testing and deployment, and exploring ways to make the device accessible at scale.
"The development of ClearWay Mobility highlights the value of identifying real-world problems and creating practical, user-centered solutions. By focusing on an attachment that integrates with existing tools rather than replacing them, the venture addresses affordability and user comfort. For early-stage entrepreneurs, grounding product design in direct feedback from end-users and institutions is a strong path toward building sustainable and impactful businesses." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes
