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The Škoda DuoBell is the first-ever bike bell designed for such a purpose and has been trialled by Deliveroo riders. The bell is up to four times more effective than a standard bike bell at piercing noise-cancelling technology, preventing unnecessary collisions. 

A game-changer for urban safety, it has the potential to help cyclists be heard again in UK cities. An elegant analogue solution to a digital problem, the bell has reinvented a 100-year-old safety device for the noise-cancelling generation.

In London, cyclists are set to outnumber car drivers for the first time this year. But bike–pedestrian collisions also rose by 24% in 2024, according to Transport for London data. One contributing factor is the widespread rise in the use of noise-cancelling headphones. Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) reduces awareness of approaching cyclists, posing serious danger to pedestrians and cyclists.   

Researchers from the �׸���Ƭ worked with Škoda to conduct one of the world’s first studies examining how ANC technology affects the audibility of traditional bicycle warning bells. Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) works by generating counter-sounds that cancel incoming audio signals, meaning everyday alerts, including traditional bike bells, can be filtered out before reaching the listener. 

Dr Will Bailey, an acoustics expert at the �׸���Ƭ, said: “This project uncovered something fascinating about how we experience sound in modern environments. We’re proud to have worked with Škoda to turn that insight into something practical that could make a real difference to safety in our cities.

“The unique facilities at Salford enabled us to carry out true 360 degree perception testing to allow us to generate fast results that will result in real world impact and hopefully prevent accidents and save lives.”

Through acoustic testing, the research team  at Salford identified a narrow frequency band, or “safety gap”, of between 750Hz and 780Hz' that consistently penetrates ANC filters. As a result, the new DuoBell can be heard as much as 5 seconds earlier and up to 22 meters away. 

Developed in partnership with creative agency AMV BBDO, PHD, and production company Unit 9, the response is a smart engineering solution: a mechanical bell that fools ANC algorithms. 

By releasing the research in an open-source whitepaper, Škoda is inviting wider adoption to make UK cities safer. 

By combining this with a second resonator tuned to a higher frequency, and a specially designed striking mechanism that produces rapid, irregular impacts, the bell generates sound waves that ANC algorithms cannot calculate quickly enough to cancel.

The bell has been tested to achieve efficiency through real-world trials with partners operating in busy urban environments. A two-week trial using a fleet of Deliveroo riders who depend on road safety daily was also completed. By providing feedback from their daily on-road use, the riders helped to shape the final prototype. One Deliveroo rider championed the DuoBell, saying that with the tech, “he finally had a voice in the streets”.

Meredith Kelly, Head of Global Marketing, Škoda, said, “Exploration has always been at the heart of Škoda. As the brand continues to grow, we’re constantly looking for new ways to support people as they move through the world. This project is a great example of how a simply clever idea can help make that exploration safer for everyone.”