The Problem

As Australia’s population grows, mass infrastructure projects connect our regional communities. Tragically, these new road systems disrupt and disconnect Australian wildlife communities, especially those of our most iconic native animal - the Kangaroo. Over the past decades, new roads have displaced Kangaroos from their habitats, putting both animals and drivers at risk. Tens of thousands of vehicles collide with kangaroos yearly, leading to approximately $95 million in insurance claims and an average of two deaths in Australia yearly.

The Solution

The Volkswagen RooBadge is a revolutionary accessory that transforms the Volkswagen badge into a protective audio shield to deter kangaroos from roads.

 It comes equipped with an in-car app that uses machine learning to compare the vehicle's GPS coordinates with kangaroo distribution records. The app creates an audio deterrent designed to alert the particular species in that location by mixing artificial sounds with instinctively meaningful sounds from nature, such as predator howls, bird calls, and warning thumps. 

When a vehicle enters a kangaroo hotspot, RooBadge automatically activates and emits a focused high-frequency sound beam using cutting-edge directional speaker technology that alerts of approaching danger and deters Kangaroos from the road, making roads safer for drivers and wildlife.