With ADAS systems gradually taking over more driving tasks, automakers need to find a way for vehicles to effectively communicate with pedestrians and other road users. In that context, Skoda developed an illuminated grille concept for the Enyaq iV, showing pedestrians whether it is safe or not to cross the road ahead of the vehicle.
An illuminated panel with programmable LED strip holders takes up the same space as the Enyaq iV’s optional Crystal Face grille. When the EV approaches a pedestrian crossing, it displays animated graphics, letting people know it is aware of their existence. After that, the Enyaq iV slows down and the grille displays a walking figure alongside green arrows so that pedestrians know it is the right time to cross the street.
Read: Skoda Apprentices Are Turning The Enyaq iV Into A Home For Digital Nomads
When the vehicle is ready to take off, the grille changes to a red background with warning triangles to discourage bystanders from walking in front of it. The same would happen in the unlikely scenario of a moving vehicle not being able to stop at a pedestrian crossing. This is not the first time we see something like this, as similar systems have been used in autonomous vehicle concepts from many other automakers.
The illuminated grille is still in the concept stage, so it is not offered in production vehicles yet. Skoda believes that this kind of technology could help reduce the number of pedestrian injuries, which were more than 16,000 in 2021, in the UK alone.
The project is part of a wider trial scheme in the UK. Another part of it is the IPA2X robotic rover, designed to help children, senior citizens and people with disabilities cross the road. Like the illuminated grille, the robotic assistant that shows people when it is safe to cross the street, was developed by the Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics at the Czech Technical University in Prague (CIIRC), the Technical University of Munich and Skoda.
