Pioneer Electronics Integrates IBM Embedded ViaVoice in Navigation System
- Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. has chosen IBM Embedded ViaVoice software to speech-enable its AVIC-Z1 aftermarket navigation system that delivers information and entertainment to drivers.
IBM Embedded ViaVoice software provides speech recognition and text-to-speech conversion technologies. IBM deploys voice-enabled telematics solutions with speech algorithms created by scientists from IBM's Research Labs.
"Speech recognition is at the beginning of a tidal wave in cars," said Karen Rubin, director of product planning and marketing for navigation, Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. "Drivers can now enter destinations, search for points of interest, and access their music on the built-in hard drive using their voices."
IBM's software and telematics solutions featuring IBM Embedded ViaVoice deliver IBM speech technology to mobile devices that include smart phones, handheld personal digital assistants (PDAs) and automobile components.
The Pioneer AVIC-Z1 system can be installed in almost any vehicle, most vehicles with a double din opening, and features a voice recognition system for navigation destination entry and audio track search, together with text-to-speech voice guidance of street names.
"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," said Rubin. "The combination of Pioneer's conversational voice search capability and IBM's Embedded ViaVoice helps provide AVIC-Z1 customers with an unprecedented user experience."
The AVIC-Z1 also uses the IBM Embedded ViaVoice text-to-speech (TTS) engine and phonetic data from geographic content supplier Tele Atlas, which provides more precise pronunciations of location and directional information.
Using a 30-gigabyte hard drive, the AVIC-Z1 uses the Tele Atlas map database to offer route guidance, mapping and road information that crosses the United States and Canada. In some areas of the country, navigation includes lane information, letting the driver know which lane to be in for the next turn. It also has almost 11 million points of interest such as gas stations, restaurants, stores and other business listings.
The companies' telematics offerings will leverage technologies within IBM Embedded ViaVoice and Pioneer's AVIC-Z1. The IBM Embedded ViaVoice provides speech recognition, while the AVIC-Z1 enables conversational search and navigation of media, traffic and other digital content from devices used in the car or mobile phone.