Nuance Unveils Dragon Drive!
Nuance is rolling out Dragon Drive!, an automotive-grade, natural-language voice platform that enables automotive manufacturers and suppliers to deliver eyes-free, hands-free message dictation and direct access to content, music, and navigation.
Dragon Drive! is a specialized automotive-grade hybrid platform optimized for in-vehicle use that engages both the embedded and connected features of in-car infotainment systems. Combined with Nuance's array microphone and noise cancellation technology, the system offers drivers a seamless and natural exchange with their cars, minimizing manual and visual distractions.
Dragon Drive! Messaging is the first in a series of connected services that will hit the market this summer as part of Nuance's Dragon Drive! platform. Featuring Nuance's Dragon Dictation, the technology allows drivers to use conversational mobile assistant messaging to speak, listen, and respond to text messages and emails.
"The entire automotive ecosystem faces a critical challenge—keep consumers connected to the content they love, without imposing dangerous distractions behind the wheel," said Arnd Weil, vice president and general manager, automotive, Nuance Mobile, in a statement. "Dragon Drive! has been designed from the ground up with a focus on voice and natural language, bridging that gap to give consumers the ability to take full advantage of the broad range of services today's connected car has to offer."
Nuance said that the rollout takes advantage of the rapid growth of the connected car market and increased demand for voice-enabled in-car services. The company cited information from IMS Research, which forecasts that the world market for connected cars will grow 650 percent to reach 40.5 million unit sales in 2017. Additionally, the JD Power "2012 U.S. Automotive Emerging Technologies Study" on consumer demands for in-car technology found that 69 percent of respondents want natural language voice activation and 68 percent want wireless connectivity.
"As connectivity continues to push into the car, bringing with it a host of new services and features, the risk of driver distraction is becoming a key issue for every vehicle manufacturer," said Jack Bergquist, automotive analyst, IMS Research, in a statement. "Vehicle manufacturers are increasingly turning to natural voice-based interfaces to simplify more complex command tasks and to provide information and data back to the driver in a way that avoids them needing to take their eyes off the road."
Dragon Drive! Messaging is currently available in six languages: U.S. and U.K. English, French, Italian, German and Spanish. Additional services, languages, and country markets will roll out later this year.
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