Hi Everyone,

I'm currently doing a project researching the dangers of quiet vehicles - primarily electric and hybrid electric vehicles, which as I'm sure most of you know are becoming ever more common on our roads.

The lack of and characteristic differences in the sound which they emit is of particular detriment to the blind, the elderly, children and cyclists. Research using US accident data found that during some maneuvers (mainly low speed driving and reversing) a EV or HEV is twice as likely as an IC vehicle to be involved in a collision with a pedestrian.

We're designing a system which creates synthetic sounds through a set of speakers which will be fitted onto the front of a quiet vehicle - with an emphasis on safety rather than making it sound like a spaceship which most other research groups/manufacturers seem to be doing!

If you could be so kind, please follow this link ---> http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/eng/meng/evws/evaluation and rate the 6 video and sound clips that we've created. It'll take no more than 5 minutes I promise but you'll need some speakers or headphones to take part.

If it helps, it's MY FORD FIESTA in the video!

Thank you for reading this and completing the evaluation! :)

If you've got any comments or questions feel free to ask away.

Done but I would say some where between video 1 and 2 would be best, it's the best sound I think but video 2 is too quiet and video one sounds like a giant dump truck from a quarry passing!! Some where in the middle IMO. As for those space ship sounds!!! hahaha.

Thanks for the feedback Mark.

It's so weird how loads of manufacturers have decided to go down the spaceship/UFO route. The main problem is that those most at risk (the blind) want quiet vehicles to sound like IC engines, but the people who actually buy the cars think replicating IC sounds is false and cheesy.

Last one for me - although I think I would have shot the bloomin cuckoo first :)

First & last for me.

Last one for me - although I think I would have shot the bloomin cuckoo first :)

Haha, yeah it is a bit much! I'll try and get our design guy to adjust it a bit.

Thanks to everyone who's done it so far. :)

I think this video should have been added onto the end, it would get my vote!

All done mate! :)

All done

2nd and sixth, soothing, however the second is not maybe as ideal, i.e attention grabbing.

seeing as i work for nissan on the nissan leaf i feel this is quite relevant, however they are using a sound in the US version and UK version thats quite different to these.

gonna have a look now, but as for hybrids on the road i shat meself the other day, was sat in car on car park and this prius rolls in next to us... didnt hear a thing from it... i have always said thats the stop look and LISTEN out the window aint it

Number two for me. Although if you'd made one sound like a TIE fighter I'd most definitely vote for that. Actually, if someone made a car that sounded like a TIE fighter I'd probably BUY it just for that lol.

I liked #6 the best - it still sounded like an electric motor, but much louder. It would probably be less noticeable to the driver as well.

I have to add - Electric cars make plenty of noise when they take off in my opinion. There are a few Prius hybrids around here, and while the drivers normally mash on the accelerator hard enough to get the IC engine to start when they take off (with a corresponding spray of water from the tailpipe), the one time I saw one take off in a sedate manner I could easily hear it in my vehicle with the windows rolled up and climate control running.

I hate them, they're to quiet. As a horse rider, you can't always here them behind you then the horse and you spook! Which is !Removed! dangerous on country roads.

I done it and i have to say it did make me and my partner chuckle lol i would of said sound 3 was the best, it sounded like a helicopter which isnt good BUT it was loud and you could hear it coming. As for the rest lol well i think blind people are going to be running away from the cars because there think there about to be abducted lol but all in all i think your doing a grand job at trying and think your appreication to the blind is really considerate =)

On an iPhone ATM so can't see these but have you ever thought of using a white noise radius?

I think they all sound good, but the first seems to stand out more. It's a nice clear noise for people to be able to hear the car coming.