The encyclopedia · Product & Design · Product decision · 2024
VW's RooBadge warns kangaroos off with a GPS-tuned sound
RooBadge replaces a VW badge with a disc that reads GPS and emits audio tuned to the local kangaroo species, reducing Australia's worst roadkill.
Volkswagen Australia
the move
Kangaroos make up roughly 90% of on-road wildlife collisions in Australia, and the animals respond differently by species - so the decades-old deterrent-device idea kept failing because one sound cannot scare all kangaroos.
Volkswagen Australia and DDB Sydney, with the University of Melbourne and WIRES, built RooBadge: a 17cm disc fitted over the front badge that calibrates GPS position against species distribution data and plays a tailored audio deterrent in real time.
The sounds are meaningful to each species - dingo calls, bird alarm calls and kangaroo warning thumps for Eastern Grey Kangaroos - mixed with artificial noise and projected forward at high frequency from the moving vehicle.
After trials and ethics approval from Melbourne University, the team moved to wild-kangaroo testing; the project was shortlisted for Spikes Innovation 2025 and earned Silver and Bronze Lions at Cannes 2025.
why it works
- One universal sound fails because each kangaroo species hears differently.
- GPS data lets the same hardware produce the right deterrent for the location.
- It reduces animal suffering and human road deaths and repair costs, a genuine two-sided win.
- Rewards followed the science: a Spikes shortlist plus Cannes Silver and Bronze Lions.
what transfers
When a standard fix fails because the audience is varied, make the solution respond to context. A location-aware fix beats one good answer that works for no one.
what came after
RooBadge was shortlisted for Innovation at Spikes Asia 2025 and took a Silver Lion in Brand Experience and two Bronze Lions at Cannes 2025. The team continued wild trials under Melbourne University ethics review, with findings on ear shape suggesting the approach could transfer to deer and other large wildlife.
references
- Volkswagen and DDB Sydney create innovative app to reduce collisions with kangaroos and wildlife
- Australia's Complete Cannes Lions 2025 Tally - View All the Winners, From Grand Prix to Bronze
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