Foto Škoda
The idea comes in response to a growing problem: more and more people in cities are using headphones with ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) technology, which often means they can’t hear approaching traffic. Together with researchers from the University of Salford. specialists Škoda conducted a series of experiments to determine which sound frequencies are worst suppressed by modern headphones.
The testing, which involved devices from popular brands such as Bose, Sony and Apple, revealed that the 750-780 Hz range remains the most “permeable” for ANC systems. It is on this feature that the development of the new bell is based.
The device, called DuoBell, is equipped with a dual resonator. The first one generates sound in the range vulnerable to noise reduction, and the second one creates chaotic high-frequency pulses, which are more difficult to filter by ANC algorithms. As a result, the sound becomes noticeable even to pedestrians fully immersed in the music.
The effectiveness of the development was tested using a VR simulation of urban traffic. The results showed that pedestrians hear such a call about 22 meters earlier and get up to 5 additional seconds to react. This can significantly reduce the risk of collisions, especially in dense traffic.
Additional trials were conducted in a real-world environment with Deliveroo couriers in London. Participants noted that the call really helps to get the attention of passers-by faster.
DuoBell is not yet on sale, but Škoda has already announced plans to work with partners to implement it. It is noteworthy that the company started its history by manufacturing bicycles back in the 19th century, and the new development symbolically brings it back to its roots.
