Škoda has unveiled a new design for a bike bell designed to cut through both noise pollution and noise-cancelling headphones.
The Czech car manufacturer, which sponsors the Tour de France and started out as a bike-builder in the 1890s, contracted researchers and acousticians from Salford University to examine how active noise cancellation (ANC) technology can be countered to be heard.
The researchers concluded that a narrow audio frequency band, or “safety gap”, exists between 750Hz and 780Hz where audio can be penetrated through traditional ANC technology.
Škoda has used these findings to create a mechanical DuoBell that is tuned to two frequencies – including the safety gap-beating frequency – and strikes irregularly to emit unusually shaped soundwaves that beats noise cancellation technology.
A video has also been produced summarising the findings and the product itself, though including several newspaper headlines depicting cyclists as killing or maiming pedestrians is an interesting choice in the video introduction.
After tests in Salford’s hemi-anechoic (echo-free) chambers and in virtual reality simulation, a pilot scheme was rolled out among Deliveroo drivers in London who, according to the testimony in the video, unsurprisingly approve of the bell and it’s impact. Škoda say their DuoBell can be heard up to to 5 seconds earlier and up to 22 meters further away than a standard bike bell when tested in a controlled environment.
Škoda also tout the bell’s analogue technology as being a “clever hack” against the AI algorithms that read the soundwaves inside noise-cancelling headphones, although it’s unclear how AI-proof the DuoBell may be if ANC technology improves to eventually read and block out the bell’s irregular soundwaves.
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One of the acousticians behind the research, Dr Will Bailey, said the project “uncovered something fascinating about how we experience sound in modern environments. We’re proud to have worked with Škoda to turn that insight into something practical that could make a real difference to safety in our cities.”
Commercial plans for the DuoBell are also unclear, with the DuoBell already the subject of a social media campaign for the rest of the month. However in response to an Instagram comment, Škoda said “the DuoBell isn’t for sale at the moment”.
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But the product’s design will not be locked away, with Škoda agreeing to share the scientific findings of Salford University’s research in a white paper that they intend to publish “as a public service to help make cities safer.” This could create an arms race of various companies racing to design their own bells, though it is difficult to predict a timescale of when people might be able to use the invention.
16 thoughts on “Car brand Škoda excites commuters by unveiling bike bell “designed to cut through noise-cancelling headphones”… but says it is not for sale (yet)”
Out of the goodness of its heart, Skoda is releasing this marketing piece – sorry, academic research – for free.
Great. Now do a bell that cuts through car windows and amplifies itself to drivers.
The said bell should also include a jammer for motorists and cyclists who use their phones while commuting.
Their recent TV ad claimed their car windows have more sound insulation.
This extra insulation is required to prevent the driver hearing all the peds and cyclists saying how ugly their car is.
And how long before Apple and Samsung download that research and release a new and improved earbud that “even cuts out those annoying Skoda bells”?
I would hope that the earbud industry could come to an agreement that the “safety gap” in ANC should be a feature of all noise cancelling earbuds.
The complete question should read – How about not wearing noise-cancelling headphones/earphones when riding a bike, driving a car and walking down the pavement? Safety first, first meaning that I, the pedestrian, cyclist and driver take responsibility for my own safety by abiding by the traffic rules and behaving sensibly while on the roads and pavement.
I recently bought a pair of ear buds that not only allow you to turn the noise cancellation off, but also have a setting where it works in reverse, making outside sounds clearer. Using this setting is like I would imagine wearing hearing aids to be.
Using that setting generally just results in a large amount of annoying added white noise – I can’t imagine anyone uses it for any extended period in an environment with any level of background noise.
Ambient sound mode is truly awful. Wouldn’t be suitable for areas where there’s driving and other load noises
They do not manufacture it yet and the fact they are sharing their research world-wide for the good of humanity implies that someone high-up has recently decided not to do so in the future.
“… can be heard five seconds sooner. The difference between stepping aside and a serious collision.” The only two options?! It sounds like it’s written by a car company.
“Excites Commuters?”
Surely a bit of an exaggeration.
Wouldn’t “Catches the attention of some commuters.” be more accurate?
“Raises eyebrows of some commuters”
Of course now we need a smart bell that is able to tell wether the pedestrian you are approaching will appreciate the sounding of the bell or hat3 you more…
I think I’d rather sound deafening headphones were banned in public places. I’ve shouted myself hoarse on many occasions and still not been able to get the selfish fuckwit in front to move to the side. Is there something in the wearing of the headphones which makes people wander down the centre of the shared paths, or, more infuriating, walk on the cycle path instead of the footpath?