Škoda is developing a unique technology that shows pedestrians, via car grills, when it is safe to cross the road, as part of a broader testing plan that seeks to make roads safer for children, the elderly and the disabled. disability

This system replaces the Enyaq iV backlit Crystal Face grille with a new body with mounts for the LED strip. These programmable LEDs can be controlled individually, allowing you to create unique animations.

As the car approaches the crosswalk, it can warn those waiting to cross that it has seen them. Then it stops and shows a green arrow, for example, to let them know it’s safe to cross. Once they cross and the car is about to move, it can display different signals to warn pedestrians that the car is moving. In a more extreme example, a car approaching an intersection and unable to stop may send a clear signal to pedestrians not to cross.

Symbols currently being tested include a green arrow and a green person, as well as a warning triangle or a red triangle with a cross, a widely recognized symbol.

Technology like this could help reduce the overall number of pedestrian injuries on roads, with more than 16,000 in 2021, according to annual figures published by the UK’s Department for Transport in 2022.

Changes to the Highway Code in 2022 suggest that pedestrians will receive priority at zebra crossings as part of a broader change with a new hierarchy of road users. Drivers must now also yield to pedestrians crossing or waiting to cross the road they are entering or exiting. Therefore, the most vulnerable road users can take advantage of car-pedestrian communication at these locations.

Also included as part of the larger trial is a roving robot called IPA2X, which has been designed to help children, seniors and people with disabilities cross roads safely. Experts from the Institute for Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics of the Czech Technical University in Prague (CIIRC), the Technical University of Munich and Škoda have collaborated to develop this intelligent assistant, together with a signaling radiator grille.

The robot, more than two meters tall, looks like a traffic light moving towards the middle of a pedestrian crossing. Once you get there, it will show a green light and pedestrians can cross. The robot continuously monitors its surroundings, so it can detect any cars approaching the intersection. With sensors located two meters high, it is able to see parked cars. He then headed down the street when he saw that it was safe to do so.

The robot displays information for pedestrians and warnings for oncoming cars: it shows a stop sign to oncoming drivers. It also sends an alert to the car itself, which is displayed as an animation on the infotainment screen. After the pedestrian has crossed the street, the robot returns to the sidewalk.

On reaching the curb, the warning on the car dashboard disappears and the driver can continue on his way. Other robotic developments will also attempt to provide audio alerts.

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So Škoda is developing a unique technology that shows pedestrians, through car grilles, when it is safe to cross the road.