In 2022, 484 pedestrians were killed on the road. Faced with this observation, the Czech car manufacturer Skoda is determined to strengthen the safety of people on foot by developing a smart grille that might be installed on its future models, reports Frandroid. This device, developed in collaboration with the Czech Technical University, is currently being tested.
This grille will replace the backlit Crystal Face, present on the Enyaq iV SUV. It is made up of LED strips, details the Czech manufacturer in a press release published on Tuesday. Each of these LEDs is programmable, which makes it possible to create animations. When a car approaches a pedestrian crossing, it will thus be able to inform them that they have been spotted and send them visual messages.
Easily identifiable universal symbols
The manufacturer has tested several symbols such as green arrows, the green silhouette of a man, a warning triangle or a red triangle with a cross. Pedestrians can then know if they can cross safely. Eventually, static devices might also make their appearance, in particular to alert drivers to the presence of pedestrians ready to cross on the passage, added the manufacturer.
The system is likely to be used in connection with the IPA2X robot, on which Skoda and the Universities of Prague and Munich (Germany) are also working. It is a 2m high machine designed to help pedestrians cross streets safely. The machine is placed in the middle of the road and displays a message asking vehicles to stop. On some compatible cars, the message may even appear on the dashboard.
