Get Behind the Wheel With Advanced Recognition Technologies
13 November 1998
Get Behind the Wheel With Advanced Recognition Technologies; smARTcar Demo Using Voice and Fingertip Scribbles Unveiled At Fall COMDEX '98
LAS VEGAS--Nov. 13, 1998--Sands Convention Center, Booth M361--Advanced Recognition Technologies (ART), a global leader in voice and handwriting recognition technologies, is setting a new standard for the user interface in automobiles with smARTcar, being demonstrated exclusively at the ART booth at Fall COMDEX 1998 in Las Vegas, Nov. 16-20.
Utilizing ART's voice and handwriting recognition technologies, smARTspeak and smARTwriter, smARTcar is a complete solution for automobiles, providing total control of the automotive systems and multimedia controls with user-defined voice commands and fingertip scribbles. smARTcar is a low cost solution, with a high rate of recognition, and works with the automobile's existing systems. The smARTcar solution can operate on the existing micro computers within automobiles, or on a single, low cost, 16-bit microprocessor.
The smARTcar solution has already been licensed to one major European luxury automotive company, and other European, U.S. and Japanese automotive companies are quickly closing in. Because of its low cost, the smARTcar solution can be provided in low priced automobiles. smARTcar is also a complementary solution for existing PC and Windows CE automobile systems, which do not provide handwriting recognition for times when voice recognition is not enough.
The smARTcar concept is a new user interface (UI) that minimizes the need for additional switches and knobs to control functions in the car such as the radio, GPS, CD player, wireless phone, lights, security control and many others. Keeping the driver's eyes on the road, smARTcar can navigate through these functions simply by using voice commands or fingertip writing or scribbles on a pressure sensitive touchpad. For example, to listen to Track 1 on CD 3 on your CD player, activate the smARTcar system and say "Track 1 on CD3." Search for streets by saying "GPS" or "Find" and the GPS system is launched. Writing the name of the street on a touch pad instantly looks up that street through the GPS rather than scrolling through tedious menus. Added security is established by using a voice command or fingertip signature or scribbles to activate and deactivate the car alarm or lock and unlock the car.
The smARTcar operates on ART's award-winning recognition engines: smARTspeak voice recognition and smARTwriter handwriting recognition. The smARTspeak voice recognition employs robust signal processing and pattern recognition technologies, which enable quick adaptation to the user's voice while achieving high recognition accuracy. A special noise immunity system adapts to background noise, isolating the user's voice from the noise. Spoken commands are recognized despite accent or language due to the speaker-dependent nature of the smARTspeak engine.
The smARTwriter handwriting recognition is based on shape recognition, providing a user interface that is easy to use and is highly accurate. smARTwriter adapts to the way the user writes and supports gestures, recognition of signatures and customized alphabets in multiple languages including English and all Western European languages.
Rick McCaskill, executive vice president and general manager of ART, said: "The marriage of ART's smARTcar with automobiles is inherent as an increasing number of cars are deploying computers. Safety becomes a big concern as these multimedia components steer the driver's attention away from the road and onto the controls. The smARTcar solution alleviates this by providing an interface to these components with voice and handwriting recognition that does not require the driver to concentrate on anything else but the road."
The first test vehicle employing ART's smARTcar solution will begin road testing at the end of March 1999.
About ART
Advanced Recognition Technologies develops and markets innovative and technologically superior products that allow the human voice and handwritten letters or symbols to control cellular phones, computer applications and electronic devices. Over 3 million wireless phones have shipped with ART voice recognition technology embedded within them. ART has been shipping handwriting and voice recognition software for Windows CE-based handheld PCs since 1996. The company is based in Southern California, with an R&D subsidiary in Tel-Aviv, Israel and sales offices in the United States, Europe, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. More information on ART and its products is available on its Web site at http://www.artrecognition.com.