VW trials RooBadge kangaroo deterrent
BY MATT BROGAN | 28th Mar 2024
VOLKSWAGEN has helped devise a new technology that it says could save the lives of countless kangaroos and prevent hundreds of thousands of dollars in vehicle damage.
Developed over three years by Volkswagen Australia and the DDB Group in consultation with the University of Melbourne and the Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service (WIRES), RooBadge replaces a vehicle’s front logo with a device that emits a sound detectable by kangaroos – an animal involved in 90 per cent of the nation’s wildlife collisions.
Connected to an in-car app, RooBadge calibrates a vehicle’s GPS coordinates with kangaroo distribution data.
The badge itself is a circular disc of 170mm diameter that replaces a VW’s front logo roundel and emits a unique audio deterrent specific to kangaroo species known to exist in the vehicle’s location.
VW says a mixture of natural and artificial sounds is mixed in real time and projected in a high-frequency audio signal. While other deterrent devices exist, none have been scientifically developed or proven.
Following extensive trials, permission has been granted from the University of Melbourne Office of Research Ethics and Integrity to move into field testing, with a view to potentially developing the technology for other wildlife vulnerable to vehicle collisions, such as deer.
The University of Melbourne’s Dr Helena Bender, whose research has been used extensively in the project, said: “Roadkill is a problem all around the world. What’s interesting about deer relative to kangaroos is that they’re very similar in body size, head size, and ear size
“What we know from science is that the ear shape in the head shape tells us that they probably have similar hearing ranges. So, whatever we learn has transferability to the deer as well.”
University of Melbourne associate professor Graeme Coulson added that the RooBadge “
“does something no kangaroo deterrent has been able to do before”.
“does something no kangaroo deterrent has been able to do before”.
“It is 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,” he explained.
“We have worked on (creating) 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.”
As the number of kangaroo strikes keeps increasing, WIRES spokesperson John Grant said the wildlife rescue organisation is grateful to automotive companies like Volkswagen for researching and developing a potential solution.
“Kangaroo collisions are increasing every year, and with more motorists on the roads over the Easter holiday period, we are expecting a spike in rescue calls for injured adults and displaced joeys,” he said.
“WIRES is grateful to automotive companies like Volkswagen for researching and developing solutions to better protect both our kangaroos and motorists.”
The sentiment was echoed by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicle director Ryan Davies, who said the technology represents a sizeable investment in the ongoing advancement of safety initiatives developed by the Volkswagen Group.
“Why is Volkswagen investing time and energy in this project? Because we can – and it’s the right thing to do,” he remarked.
“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,” he added.
More information can be found at: www.volkswagen.com.au/roobadge/
