Car tech on heels of iPhone voice system

The voice reocognition in the iPhone 4 is finding its way into automative infotainment. Photo / Supplied

The voice recognition software that has made the Apple iPhone 4S such a big hit is finding its way into automotive infotainment.

American company Nuance Communications, which developed some of the voice technology used in Apple's Siri software, is working with Ford and General Motors to enable motorists to use conversational commands.

The key is an algorithm that enables the computer to determine the speaker's intent. If a US motorist asks: "Is it raining in Miami?" Siri assumes the questioner wants a weather report.

If the vehicle's infotainment system can determine intent, motorists can use conversational language to operate their infotainment systems.

Most voice recognition in vehicles requires drivers to memorise a list of commands to operate their cell phones, navigation systems and other functions.

Nuance's goal is to make Ford's Sync system for entertainment, phone calls and other functions easier to use for first-timers, says Brian Radloff, Nuance's director of automotive solutions.

"It's a trend across the auto industry," Radloff told US Automotive News writer David Sedgwick. "Everybody wants the first-time user to engage and have a good experience."

The goal is to enable the motorist to get the desired result from voice recognition 90 per cent of the time with a single command.

"That's progressing quite well," Radloff says. "It's definitely the future direction [of] the auto industry.

"If the motorist asks, 'Is it sunny in Detroit?' the computer would interpret that as a weather request for Detroit."

It may be another five years or so before carmakers can match the performance of Apple's Siri voice technology. Because of this lag, Radloff believes that the mobile phone industry will continue to mould consumer expectations.

Says Radloff: "What we see in phones today is what we'll see in cars tomorrow."