Mumbai Student Develops Smart Attachment for Standard White Cane to Aid Visually Impaired

Mumbai-based early-stage venture ClearWay Mobility has introduced a smart attachment designed to integrate obstacle detection into the standard white cane used by visually impaired individuals. Developed by 17-year-old student Jaiveer Talwar, the device provides obstacle alerts through vibration and optional audio feedback without requiring users to switch canes or depend on a smartphone.

The product originated five years ago as a school science-fair project in 2021 by Talwar, a student at The Cathedral & John Connon School in Mumbai. Motivated by the navigation challenges faced by visually impaired people in urban environments, Talwar later completed an internship with a prosthetics company in 2024 to gain practical exposure to assistive technologies and mobility hurdles.

The ClearWay attachment operates independently and focuses on three primary factors: affordability, reliability, and ease of use. In navigating busy urban settings such as Mumbai—marked by crowded streets, uneven pavements, and unpredictable barriers—the device aims to provide an additional layer of information while keeping the traditional white cane central to the user's mobility.

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 school visit highlighted the importance of simplicity and reliability in assistive tools. Additionally, concerns raised regarding the safety of visually impaired young women led to the integration of GPS tracking, allowing family members to monitor the user's location when necessary.

Following the testing phase, ClearWay Mobility has commenced manufacturing with an initial batch of the devices. The venture's upcoming plans involve refining the product based on further user feedback, collaborating with institutions for broader testing and deployment, and exploring methods to scale accessibility.

"ClearWay Mobility demonstrates how young entrepreneurs can identify practical, ground-level problems and build focused solutions around them. By enhancing an existing tool—the standard white cane—rather than replacing it, the venture minimizes adoption friction for users. For early-stage hardware and assistive technology startups, prioritizing affordability, reliability, and direct user feedback during testing phases is critical before scaling manufacturing operations." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes