High-End, Voice-Enabled Tech From IBM Powers Pioneer Navigation Systems for Most Cars

High-End, Voice-Enabled Tech From IBM Powers Pioneer Navigation Systems for Most Cars

A technology deal between IBM (NYSE: IBM) and Pioneer Europe, Inc., has just made it safer and easier for a driver in just about any car to control a GPS-enabled navigation system hands free, using their voice to find ATM machines, banks, gas stations, stores, restaurants and directions to just about any destination. Previously the exclusive domain of the luxury car market, voice-controlled satellite navigation systems allow drivers to keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel while accessing directions, news and music in virtually any car. IBM designed speech algorithms, created by scientists from IBM Research Labs, provide speech recognition and text-to-speech conversion capabilities for the Pioneer navigation system.

Pioneer chose IBM’s Embedded ViaVoice software to speech-enable its AVIC-HD1BT aftermarket navigation system, which can be installed in most cars and delivers information, entertainment and convenience to drivers. “Speech recognition is at the beginning of a tidal wave in cars,” said Geert Verhoeven, manager of product planning for navigation, Pioneer Europe. “A driver can now enter destinations, search for points of interest and access their music on the built-in hard drive using their voice. Pioneer chose IBM Embedded ViaVoice as its source for voice technology because of its proven quality and high performance on embedded platforms used in real world environments.”

“The combination of Pioneer’s conversational voice search capability and IBM Embedded ViaVoice help provide AVIC-HD1BT customers with an unprecedented user experience,” Verhoeven said. Software and electronics comprise a rapidly growing percentage of innovation and differentiation in cars today, adding up to billions of dollars. IBM’s telematics solutions featuring IBM speech technology increasingly allow access to real-time data, benefiting customers virtually anywhere they are. IBM’s advanced software and telematics solutions featuring IBM Embedded ViaVoice deliver IBM speech technology to mobile devices including smart phones, handheld personal digital assistants and automobile components.

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