PRAGUE/LONDON: Czech car manufacturer Skoda is developing a new road safety feature that uses flashing LEDS in the front grille to warn pedestrians and cyclists of danger ahead.

The trial project, announced on the maker's UK website, uses LED signals mounted in the grille of an Enyaq iV. These indicate when other road users can go or should wait and when the car itself is about to move off into traffic.

The system replaces the Enyaq iV’s backlit Crystal Face grille with a new body featuring LED strip holders. The programmable LEDs can be controlled separately, making it possible to create unique animations.

The prototype uses a battery of red and green icons, which is however bad news for those who suffer from colour blindness, and the car can flash up a warning to pedestrians when a runaway car is unable to stop.

The icon library includes green arrows, a green figure, a warning triangle and a red triangle with a cross. There is also information on the car's internal display so the driver knows what is being shown.



When the car approaches a pedestrian crossing, it can warn those waiting to cross in advance that it has spotted them. It then stops and displays green arrows, for example, to tell them it is safe to cross. Once they have crossed, and the car is about to set off, it can display a different signal to warn pedestrians that the car is moving.

Skoda is also testing a robot traffic beacon designed to help children, senior citizens and people with disabilities cross the road. The robot is about two metres tall and looks like a mobile traffic light.

The robot, which is over two metres tall, looks like a mobile traffic light that makes its way to the middle of a pedestrian crossing.

Once it gets there, it displays a green light and pedestrians can cross. The robot constantly monitors its surroundings to can detect whether a car is approaching the crossing.

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