Skoda is conducting a trial scheme to make roads safer for pedestrians, particularly children, senior citizens, and people with disabilities, by developing unique technology that displays signals through the car’s grille. According to Skoda, the trial is part of its commitment to sustainable mobility, focusing on the safety of pedestrians and reducing the number of accidents involving vulnerable road users.
“We are constantly exploring new ways to make our vehicles safer and more user-friendly, and this trial scheme is another important step towards achieving this goal,” said Christian Strube, Skoda Board Member for Technical Development. “The technology developed by Skoda will help improve communication between cars and pedestrians, making it safer for everyone on the road.”
The technology replaces the backlit Crystal Face grille of the Enyaq iV with programmable LED strip holders that can create unique animations. When the car approaches a pedestrian crossing, it warns pedestrians waiting to cross and displays green arrows to indicate it is safe to cross. The system also warns pedestrians when the car is about to set off and displays a signal when it is unable to stop. Symbols such as green arrows, a green person, warning triangle, and a red triangle with a cross are currently being tested, which are widely recognizable.
“The new technology is an innovative way to make our cars more visible to pedestrians and improve safety on the road,” said Andre Wehner, Skoda Board Member for Sales and Marketing. “We are confident that it will help reduce the number of accidents involving vulnerable road users and make the road a safer place for everyone.”
The trial scheme aims to reduce the number of pedestrian injuries on the road, as over 16,000 injuries occurred in 2021, according to the Department for Transport’s annual figures in the UK. The new Highway Code advises that pedestrians have priority at zebra crossings and drivers should give way to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross a road. The technology developed by Skoda could benefit vulnerable road users.
In addition to the signalling radiator grille, the trial scheme also includes a robotic rover called IPA2X, developed by experts from the Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics at the Czech Technical University in Prague (CIIRC), the Technical University of Munich, and Skoda. The robot is over two meters tall and looks like a mobile traffic light. It moves to the middle of a pedestrian crossing, displays a green light, and pedestrians can cross.
“The IPA2X is an important innovation that will help make roads safer for pedestrians, particularly children, senior citizens, and people with disabilities,” said Pavel Burget, Director of CIIRC. “We are delighted to be working with Skoda and the Technical University of Munich on this project, and we are confident that the robot will help reduce the number of accidents involving pedestrians.”
The robot monitors its surroundings and detects approaching cars. It displays a stop sign to approaching drivers and sends a warning to the car, which is shown as an animation on the infotainment display. The robot also displays information for pedestrians and warnings for approaching cars. Once the pedestrians have crossed, the robot returns to the kerb, and the alert on the car’s dashboard disappears, allowing the driver to continue their journey. The development of the robot will also include audio warnings.
“The IPA2X is a smart assistant that will help improve communication between cars and pedestrians, making it safer for everyone on the road,” said Oliver Stefani, Skoda Head of Design. “We are excited to be working on this project and look forward to seeing the benefits it will bring to vulnerable road users.”
