Volkswagen has unveiled a device aimed at reducing collisions with kangaroos – accidents that the company says comprise 90 per cent of on-road wildlife accidents in the country.
The device, called the RooBadge, is a circular disc some 17cm in diameter that replaces the current Volkswagen roundel/badge. Connecting to an in-car app, RooBadge calibrates a vehicle’s GPS coordinates with kangaroo distribution data and emits a unique audio deterrent for the kangaroo species that inhabits the vehicle’s particular location.
Developed by Volkswagen Australia and the DDB Group in consultation with the University of Melbourne and WIRES (an animal rescue organisation), the system has gone through extensive trials, Volkswagen says, and will now move into Stage Four trials, involving kangaroos in the wild.
“[RooBadge does] something no kangaroo deterrent has been able to do before,” said Melbourne University’s Associate Professor Graeme Coulson.
“It’s difficult to produce a single sound that will deter all kangaroos, because the species are different to each other. Using advancements in car technology we can change the sound deterrent by GPS location.
“We have worked on sounds that will be meaningful to Eastern Grey Kangaroos, things like dingo calls, alarm calls made by birds and the alarm thumps that kangaroos make to warn each other. We will then be able to tweak the sound for other species.”
Such a system could save hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage, avoid many animal deaths, as well prevent fatal accidents for vehicle occupants.
“Why is Volkswagen investing time and energy in this project? Because we can and it’s the right thing to do,” said Director of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Ryan Davies.
“A collision with a ‘roo can be devastating. It is not easily forgotten once seen, and certainly not if experienced. Then there’s the possibility of a front-on collision with an approaching vehicle at country road speeds when one driver is trying to avoid striking a kangaroo. These are even more likely to have a fatal human outcome.”
Source: Motor Trader e-Magazine (April 2024)
10 April 2024