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Jeep(R) Commander Says Plenty About Computer Technology

19 May 1999

Jeep(R) Commander Says Plenty About Computer Technology

    AUBURN HILLS, Mich., May 18 -- A car pulls up next to yours
at a stoplight, and the driver is carrying on an animated conversation with no
one.  The driver glances at you, continues talking to the air and drives away.
    A scene from "Seinfeld?"  Nope.  It's the very real world of the Jeep(R)
Commander and its voice-activated computer system.
    The Commander, DaimlerChrysler's concept sport-utility
vehicle, features technology to read and send e-mail, set up appointments and
activate the vehicle's security system -- all with the sound of a voice.  The
driver's hands stay on the wheel and eyes remain on the road.
    "The emphasis of the Commander's computer system is to use voice controls
to make it easier for the driver to use the computer," says Steve Buckley,
DaimlerChrysler electronics specialist.
    The Commander system starts with a "docked" or removable laptop computer
in the center console.  Linked to a display on the instrument panel, the
computer will provide wireless Internet access, including current traffic
information and weather updates.
    The computer also delivers global positioning system (GPS) mapping, a
security system, phone connections and mobile office functions, such as e-
mail, a calendar and an appointment schedule.
    While the computer can be controlled with a keyboard, a number of
functions can be activated by the sound of the driver's voice through a
microphone on top of the Commander's instrument panel.
    For example, the driver can dictate a message and the computer will
translate it to an electronic message and send it through the Internet.  In
the future, similar computers also will read e-mail aloud to the driver using
text-to-speech technology.  The same technology can be used to make and hear
calendar appointments.
    "When you're driving home and remember something you should have done at
work, you can verbally remind yourself and tell your computer to e-mail that
message to your office -- all without touching a keypad," says Buckley.
    Along with its voice-activated controls, Commander's computer features a
high-tech security system that literally captures the identity of a car thief.
A camera in the instrument panel makes a visual recording of the thief, which
can then be sent electronically to authorities.  GPS also helps authorities
track the whereabouts of a heisted Commander.
    Given that the computer docks with Commander, and is not built into the
vehicle, its software can be continually upgraded -- extending the life of the
system and allowing it to be used in the office, at home or, perhaps, in
another vehicle.
    "As long as it's working on my laptop, it'll work in my car.  Using my own
computer in the Commander keeps the system affordable and personalized,"
Buckley said.