Mumbai-based early-stage venture ClearWay Mobility has introduced a smart attachment designed to add obstacle detection capabilities to the standard white cane used by visually impaired individuals. The product aims to provide additional environmental awareness without requiring users to replace their existing canes or rely on a smartphone.
The device was developed by 17-year-old Jaiveer Talwar, a student at The Cathedral & John Connon School in Mumbai. The concept originated five years ago as a school science-fair project in 2021. Talwar later completed an internship with a prosthetics company in 2024 to gain practical exposure to mobility challenges and assistive technologies before refining the product further.
ClearWay fits directly onto a standard white cane and alerts users to obstacles in their path through vibration, with optional audio feedback. Built around the priorities of affordability, reliability, and ease of use, the device operates independently without needing a smartphone or a dedicated mobile application.
In 2026, a revised version of the device was tested with students and teachers at the Smt. Kamla Mehta Dadar School for the Blind in Mumbai. Feedback from the trials helped inform product adjustments, including the addition of GPS tracking to address safety concerns raised regarding young women navigating busy urban environments, enabling family members to check the user's location when necessary.
Following the testing phase, ClearWay Mobility has entered the manufacturing stage with an initial batch currently being produced. The next phase of the venture will focus on refining the product through continued user feedback, collaborating with institutions for wider testing and deployment, and exploring pathways to make the device accessible at scale.
"ClearWay Mobility represents a meaningful example of grassroots innovation addressing practical everyday challenges. By focusing on an attachment rather than a complete redesign of an existing tool like the white cane, the venture demonstrates a user-centric approach that minimizes adoption barriers. For early-stage assistive technology hardware, transitioning from school-level concepts and institutional testing to small-batch manufacturing requires a disciplined focus on reliability, affordability, and direct user feedback." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes
