Jul 24, 2008

What's That You Say?

Yes, you’re talking, but is your car listening to you? That’s a question that will be more and more important as we see the increased use of voice-recognition systems in vehicles. And the move toward the use of more voice recognition got a big boost recently with the release of the results of the 2008 In-Car Distraction Study, commissioned by Nuance Automotive. It revealed significant benefits when drivers were able to use their voice to select music, input addresses in navigation systems and dial the phone while driving.

Implemented by the Technical University of Braunschweig in Germany, the study was based on the Lane Change Task (LCT) test -- a test certified by the International Standards Organization (ISO) -- which exposed 30 drivers to a range of driving skills assessments, challenging each to drive while performing various common tasks within the car. The test simulated driving and changing lanes, all while simultaneously selecting music on an MP3 media player, making phone calls and setting the address on a satellite-based navigation system. Juggling of oranges and spinning of plates on sticks was not involved.

The test included objective measurements on the drivers’ ability to maintain a steady course and perform smooth and safe lane changes and also measured their eye movements and awareness of their driving safety zone. It found that speech recognition significantly reduces distractions and improves driving performance as the driver selects music, makes calls and uses navigation systems in the car. Further, the data shows that speech recognition, combined with Nuance’s natural language-understanding technology, delivers the most dramatic benefits in reducing distractions in the car. Natural language understanding enables speech interfaces to accept multiple variables in a single voice command, such as “Go to Broad Street, Philadelphia,” versus responding to independent prompts for city, street and street number.