Cerence Inc. AI for a world in motion,announced the continued efforts of its Design, Research, Innovation and Vehicle Experience (DRIVE) Labs in automotive hotbeds in Detroit, Germany and China, with other labs on the horizon.
The Cerence DRIVE Labs serve as global centers of research, user experience, and user interface design excellence that inspire product innovation and consumer and industry understanding for Cerence’s global team. Further, the DRIVE Labs are critical partners to Cerence’s customer base – virtually every automaker in the world – by providing insights and understanding into consumer behavior and preferences for autonomous, shared, electric, and connected vehicles. The work done in the DRIVE Labs ultimately helps OEMs deliver safer, smarter, and more entertaining in-vehicle experiences that create an emotional connection with drivers and passengers alike.
“In the rapidly changing world of mobility, with revolutionary advances in autonomy and connectivity on the near-term horizon, it’s more important than ever that we put a strategic focus on research, design and the user experience,” said Sanjay Dhawan, CEO, Cerence. “In partnership with our global R&D, product and sales teams, and our many customers, the Cerence DRIVE Labs are key for the next generation of automotive innovations and experiences.”
Most recently, the Detroit DRIVE Lab completed its first ethnographic study, aimed at learning more about how drivers interact with in-car voice systems in the real world today and how they want to do so in the future. The results showed that while drivers continue to use their voices to complete tasks such as listening to the radio and getting directions, they look forward to engaging with more multi-modal systems that further utilize the space and technologies in the car to increase safety and help keep them informed. For example, drivers want to be able ask about things in their environment and see a response on the windshield and would welcome proactive notifications and alerts.
In addition, the Ulm, Germany, DRIVE Lab completed its first study at DFKI in Saarbrucken, aimed at determining how smart windshields affect distraction and productivity for drivers of semi-autonomous vehicles. It found that drivers’ workloads and stress levels were not higher than when using traditional infotainment systems, and that their gaze patterns on the windshield were no different than when they did not see information in front of them.
The Cerence DRIVE Labs’ next focus will be on the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2020, where Cerence plans to demonstrate how voice-, gaze- and gesture-based interactions will exceed user expectations and drive the user experience in the car of the future.
Cerence delivers immersive experiences that make people feel happier, safer, more informed, and more entertained in their cars. Bringing together voice, touch, gesture, emotion, and gaze innovations, it creates deeper connections between drivers, their cars and the digital world around them. Cerence powers AI in nearly 300 million cars on the road globally across more than 70 languages and for nearly every major automaker in the world, including Audi, BMW, Daimler, Ford, Geely, GM, SAIC, Toyota, and many more.