Ever tried ringing your bike bell at someone wearing noise-cancelling earbuds or headphones? You\u2019ll probably know how pointless it can be at times. Happily, Czech automaker Skoda Auto thinks its new DuoBell<\/b> can solve that problem. <\/p>\n
Developed together with scientists and audiologists from the University of Salford, the DuoBell is a bicycle bell that is designed specifically to cut through the active noise-cancelling (ANC) feature of earbuds and headphones. Instead of just being louder, it works smarter by producing noise in a very specific frequency range <\/b>that ANC headphones struggle to block.<\/p>\n There is a second resonator that produces higher-pitched, uneven tone to cut through ANC.<\/p>\n \u0160koda<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n According to the company, there is a narrow \u201csafety gap\u201d between 750Hz and 780Hz<\/b> that can slip past ANC algorithms and filters. The DuoBell is tuned to hit exactly within this range, making it more likely to be heard by pedestrians wearing ANC headphones who would otherwise be completely unaware of their surroundings.<\/p>\n However, that\u2019s only part of it. The \u201cDuo\u201d in DuoBell comes from a second resonator inside the bell, which creates high-pitched uneven tones<\/b> using a special hammer. Uneven sounds are harder for ANC filters to suppress, which helps improve the DuoBell\u2019s effectiveness.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/zDaVPfpQvPI\/hqdefault.jpg\")
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