Škoda unveiled the DuoBell, a mechanical bicycle bell designed to penetrate active noise‑cancelling (ANC) headphones by producing sound in a frequency band ANC systems cannot cancel.
Škoda developed the DuoBell with scientists from the University of Salford, who analyzed six leading ANC headphones and identified a 750–780 Hz window that escaped cancellation; engineering changes included thinner metal, precision cuts and an added resonator, according to Hugh Boys, Škoda's head of hardware development.
In tests Škoda said the DuoBell gave pedestrians wearing ANC headphones up to 22 metres of additional reaction distance — about five extra seconds — and trial deliveries with Deliveroo riders found the bell to be effective.
The bell is fully mechanical with no electronics, and Oliver Stefani, Škoda's head of design, described the project as expressing Škoda's "Simply Clever" design principles.
This article is based on reporting from Jalopnik.
Read the full article at Jalopnik.
More automotive news: Latest car news