While back seat driving has been the bete noire of many a motorist, it is slowly becoming institutionalized in futuristic automobiles as several well-known manufacturers are equipping their cars with satellite navigation, situational awareness and autonomous drive functionalities. These features are all voice-enabled, making cars less modes of transportation and more integrated hubs of technology that will manage all aspects of your life on the road.
Think Siri – Apple’s voice-enabled, making cars less modes of transportation and more integrated hubs of technology that will manage all aspects of your life on the road. Think Siri – Apple’s voice controlled, personal digital assistant that keeps you controlled, personal digital assistant that keeps you connected, informed, and in the right place at the right time – but with a lot more mobiliy.
Considering that industry experts have concluded – after exhaustive test- runs – that voice alerts are less intrusive than display-based warnings, this makes ‘talking cars’ a lot safer; in fact, they are believed to reduce accidents.
An important caveat that the industry is committed to is that you will have the freedom to choose both the volume and frequency of ‘feedback’ that you want to put up with; if the jabber becomes too much, you will be able to hit the ‘shut up’ button.
By Tariq Ziad Khan