Speech Recognition Technology in Your Car

Speech recognition technology is alive and well - in our computers, mobile phones and even our automobiles. It isn't all that surprising to find such innovation in a $100,000 Mercedes, but a shocker to see it in low-end models. Speech recognition technology has recently made its way into affordable cars, such as the new Honda Accord, Chevy Malibu, Chrysler Sebring, and yes, even the Ford Focus.

Brand names such as UConnect, Sync and TeleAid are just a few that include speech recognition technology and give you the power to speak to your car. One would think it would be European or Japanese manufacturers revolutionizing the trend but American automakers are actually leading the charge as pioneers in speech recognition technology. Instead of finding it in luxury vehicles such as the Volvo or Saab, these features are being produced companies such as General Motors who enables speech recognition with the help of OnStar.

Honda's Contribution to Speech Recognition Technology

Speech recognition technology currently doesn't offer the intuitiveness we've seen on the Enterprise, but the system integrated into the new Honda Accord comes closer than any other. With the help of its navigation system, the Accord can lead you directly to the address you spoke into the system. In contrast, with Onstar, you are more likely to be speaking with a real operator, whereas the Honda is essentially a talking car. This system is very user-friendly and understands complete phrases, such as "Temperature up or down" and "find the nearest gas station". It can also process entire street names and numbers, saving you the time of speaking individual letters.

Chrysler and Ford Cashing in on Speech Recognition Technology

The speech recognition technology incorporated into the Chrysler UConnect system offers hands-free navigation via a Bluetooth connection from your phone, packing a clean interface that has the ability save and store your phone numbers. Very easy to use, this system is even more efficient than the speech recognition technology found in cars manufactured by Nissan and Toyota. A few years ago, it was revolutionary, but these days it is simply expected with UConnect. This feature alone is enough to purchase a speech-enabled car, especially when considering that some states are passing laws banning the use of cell phones while behind the wheel.

The Sync system is built with speech recognition technology developed by Ford and Microsoft. While Sync can be wirelessly connected to your Bluetooth-enabled phone, its true genius is the ability to dig into your phonebook and automatically import it into the system. Equipped with a text to speech feature, it makes dialing a phone number as easy as pressing a button or simply saying the name of the person you want to call. Another innovative feature is the integration with a Zune media player, which can be controlled by your voice. With a USB connection, accessing your music as simple as speaking "play artist" and then the name of the artist or group you would like to hear.

Speech recognition technology has made absurd ideas such as talking to your computer or car a common thing. While there is still a long way to go, life has already gotten much easier thanks to systems like, OnStar, UConnect and Sync.