Skoda develops smart seat belt buckle
ŠKODA is aiming to eliminate the hassle and faff of trying to belt up at night with the innovation of an illuminated smart seat belt buckle.
The new ŠKODA smart buckles feature a clear transparent button instead of the traditional red eject button. The new button features a pair of multicolour RGB LEDs that operate in two modes. In standard mode with nobody in the seat, the LEDs glow white to show the passenger where the buckle is located at night.
A ŠKODA-style crystalline pattern on the clear plastic button spreads the light to make the whole button glow. The buckles can also be programmed to have an animated welcome sequence to make them even more noticeable in dark environments.
When a passenger sits in the seat, a weight sensor in the seat base recognises the presence of a person and the LED changes to red – indicating that the occupant should put their seat belt on. This is a particularly useful feature for parents who can see immediately if their children have either forgotten to fasten their belt or have not engaged the buckle correctly. Once the buckle is engaged, the LED changes to green to signal a successful engagement and then back to white.
The smart illuminated seat belt buckle is just one of many features devised, designed and engineered in-house at ŠKODA. Others include carpet mats made of hollow fibre fabric, which are particularly easy to clean and a flexible cargo snake that allows boxes, crates and other objects to be positioned more securely in the boot alongside luggage.
