Skoda patents world first illuminated seat belt buckle
The days of blindly finding the seat belt buckle in the dark and faffing around trying to make it click in could be over.Skoda is revolutionising the way we find a seat belt buckle at night with the innovation of an illuminated smart seat belt buckle. The Czech car brand known for their innovative approach to practicality such as umbrellas hidden in doors has been granted a worldwide patent for their new invention.
The new Skoda smart buckles feature a clear transparent button in place of the traditional red eject button which features a pair of multicolour 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. The buckles can also be programmed to have an animated welcome sequence to make them even more noticeable in dark environments. Nothing is more enticing than to buckle yourself in a car that looks like a nightclub. Safety and a party in one place.
When a passenger sits in the seat, the weight sensor activates and the LED changes to red, prompting the passenger to put their seat belt on. This is a particularly useful feature for parents who can see instantly whether their kids have either not fastened their belt or have not buckled it in correctly. Also great for those pesky passengers who still haven’t got the basic rule of wearing a seatbelt through their heads.
Once the buckle is clicked in, the LED changes to green then reverts back to white.
The smart illuminated seat belt buckle is the latest in a long list of interesting features created and patented by Skoda each year. Many of the patents from over the years have already been integrated into current and future models. In 2019 alone, Skoda filed 94 individual patent applications, more than any other company in the Czech Republic.
We could be seeing the new Skoda illuminated smart seat belt buckle in the likes of the Octavia, Superb and Kodiaq in years to come.
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