You might not be able to get into the carpool lane with the new Dragon Drive automotive platform from Nuance Communications, but it’ll certainly feel as though you have a very, very intelligent passenger in the front seat with you. At CES 2018, Nuance announced its new AI-powered Dragon Drive features that promise to transform the driving experience.
By combining conversational artificial intelligence with a number of nonverbal cues, Dragon Drive helps you talk to your car as though you were talking to a person. For example, the AI platform now boasts gaze detection, which allows drivers to get information about and interact with objects and places outside of the car simply by looking at them and asking Dragon Drive for details. If you drive past a restaurant, you can simply focus your gaze at said establishment and say, “Call that restaurant,” or “How is that restaurant rated?” Dragon Drive provides a “meaningful, human-like response.”
Moreover, the platform enables better communication with a whole host of virtual assistants, including smart home devices and other popular AI platforms. In this way, Dragon Drive claims, drivers will be able to manage a host of tasks all from their cars, whether it’s setting their home heating system or transferring money between bank accounts.
Dragon Drive’s AI integration does not only apply to external factors, but to components within the car as well. For instance, if you ask the AI platform to find parking, Dragon Drive will take into consideration whether or not your windshield wipers are on to determine whether it ought to direct you to a covered parking area to avoid the rain. And if you tell Dragon Drive you’re cold, the system will automatically adjust the car’s climate (but only in your area, keeping other passengers comfortable).
“The car is quickly rising to become the leading AI platform, especially with the future of connected and autonomous vehicles upon us,” said Arnd Weil, senior vice president, automotive, Nuance Mobile. “Utilizing a combination of conversational AI with in-car sensors and data, we’re able to create greater awareness, understanding, and ultimately intelligence for the automotive assistant, creating a truly holistic and seamless user experience for drivers.”