Loquendo Talks to Commuters

Mentor Engineering, a fleet management and GPS solutions provider, has integrated Loquendo TTS into its Mentor T-Box, a system that provides bus and train travellers with on-board next-stop announcements in English, Spanish, and French, as well as continually updated LED displays.

For passengers waiting at a bus or train stop, T-Box identifies the route and destination when the vehicle doors are open. Furthermore, by continually monitoring the ambient noise on board, the volume of announcements is adjusted accordingly.

T-Box, incorporating Loquendo TTS, is also an integral component of Mentor's Transit CAD/AVL Solution, which allows managers to better monitor variables such as on-time performance, vehicle location, and fuel consumption, as well as enabling a rapid and effective response to incidents. Mentor's solution allows passengers to access highly accurate, real-time bus information and transit schedules on the Internet, as well as next-bus departure times on wayside signs. Moreover, T-Box can be updated wirelessly over-the-air so announcements can be changed on the fly.

Thanks to Loquendo TTS, T-Box eliminates the need to record and update new messages, which would require a recording studio and voice talent. The modified text is simply entered into the system, and T-Box broadcasts the new messages to passengers. Mentor T-box is designed for public transportation buses and trains, as well as airport shuttle systems.

"As a company that provides flexible CAD/AVL solutions to increase the efficiency and productivity of transit operations, we are excited to welcome this new partnership with Loquendo. By integrating T-Box with Loquendo TTS we will be able to offer customers greater voice options and flexibility with their announcements, as well as increased time and cost savings," said Mike Koebel, vice president of sales and business development at Mentor.

"With T-box and Transit ITS, Mentor have created much needed solutions which provide accurate, real-time travel information to both passengers and drivers. These solutions also allow supervisors to manage data and resources better, enabling them to asses the overall state of their service," said Luisa Cordano, sales manager of embedded technologies at Loquendo.