Multimodal Interface for Ford Model U Concept SUV
BOSTON--Jan. 13, 2003--Company's Speech Technologies Support Concept Car's Multimodal
Interface On Display at North American International Auto Show
SpeechWorks International, Inc. , the global leader in speech technologies and services, today announced that it has collaborated with Ford Research for the design and implementation of a multimodal interface for the Model U concept SUV, a concept car which was unveiled by Ford Motor Company at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, Michigan in celebration of Ford's 100th anniversary. The Model U concept SUV showcases a number of important new design and technology concepts including the use of speech technologies that enable car occupants to speak naturally to operate on-board systems including entertainment, navigation, cellular telephone and climate control. The Model U concept SUV relies on SpeechWorks' Speech2Go(TM) embedded speech recognizer and Speechify Solo(TM) embedded text-to-speech (TTS) software.
Creating the Ideal Multimodal Interface for the Car of the Future
The Model U concept SUV is a more intelligent vehicle that allows occupants to use technology for personalization and convenience. Model U concept SUV's speech system can be used to configure different drivers' personalized settings - including the type of voice, the graphic style of the visual interface and even favorite music. The speech interface works in conjunction with a built-in LCD touch screen to create a true multimodal design. This control interface in the Model U concept SUV illustrates a realistic picture of what people might use in cars in the near future. Its conversational speech interface allows drivers and passengers to control a Bluetooth wireless phone, an MP3 player, the climate control, a retractable roof and a navigation system.
For example, the speech interface offers a welcome advantage in the use of its navigation system. Current systems require a person to either type in a location or spell it out letter-by-letter, number-by-number. Occupants can simply tell the Model U concept SUV a specific address, major intersection or one of many points of interest, and it will guide them to their destination in conversational terms such as, "the exit is ahead two miles on your right." Or, if asked to play music, the Model U concept SUV will ask what type and then list the artists available. Music is stored in MP3 format, and is downloaded through wireless technology from a PDA or a home computer.
"We are very excited to join Ford in celebrating this impressive milestone," said Alan Schwartz, vice president of business development and head of the Automotive and Mobile Device Customer Focus Unit at SpeechWorks. "Ford has been a driving force in defining new trends and innovations for the automotive industry. Having our embedded speech technologies showcased in the Model U concept SUV illustrates Ford's vision of creating a conversational interface, powered by speech technologies, to be the interface of the future for automobiles."
Superior Speech Technology
SpeechWorks embedded speech technologies deliver high performance speech technologies in a small footprint, specifically designed for automobiles and mobile devices. With advanced tuning for noise robustness and far-field microphone capabilities, Speech2Go recognition software offers outstanding accuracy in noisy environments. It also includes features to support enhanced dialog that allow for the creation of a conversational user interface. Speechify Solo TTS is based on the award-winning Speechify speech synthesizer and offers the most natural and easy to listen to product available for embedded and automotive applications.
The Model U concept SUV is on display January 5-20, 2003 at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, Michigan. For additional details on the Model U concept SUV, visit http://www.ford.com/en/ourVehicles/autoShows/detroit2003/ ford/modelU/default.htm.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is the world's second largest automaker, with approximately 335,000 employees in 200 markets on six continents. Its automotive brands include Aston Martin, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Volvo. Its automotive-related services include Ford Credit, Hertz and Quality Care. The company's world headquarters are in Dearborn, Mich. Ford Motor Company will officially observe its 100th anniversary on June 16, 2003. Additional information can be found on the company's web site at www.ford.com.
About SpeechWorks
Organizations around the world trust SpeechWorks to manage their customer conversations. As the leading provider of speech technologies and services, SpeechWorks helps companies create and implement unique Speech Strategies that ensure maximum financial return and the highest levels of caller satisfaction. The Company provides speech recognition, text-to-speech (TTS) and speaker verification for network and embedded environments, including new multimodal devices with both an audio interface and visual display. SpeechWorks' customers include carriers, corporations and government organizations, such as America Online, Citibank Europe, IRS, Microsoft, Motorola and Visteon. For more information, please call 617.428.4444 or visit www.speechworks.com.
SpeechWorks, Speech2Go and Speechify Solo are trademarks or registered trademarks of SpeechWorks International, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.