BMW Voice Control improves the way you talk to your car’s navigation and entertainment system

BMW Voice Control

BMW will be updating the voice control system for the optional BMW Navigation Professional system in cars beginning September 2009 with a latest version that promises more natural interaction with your car.

The BMW New Voice Control system allows one single voice command to completely transmit the driver’s destination into the navigation system. The driver’s verbal statement specifying the place, street and number is processed immediately by the system, all data going directly into the navigation unit.

A driver can say “Berlin, Willy-Brandt-Strasse 1” and the navigation system will automatically translate this into the Federal Chancellery in the capital of Germany, and begin navigation directions to the destination. This means the system has an edge over Mercedes-Benz’s LINGUATRONIC, because it is able to “understand” a complete address entry.

You can also use it to control the entertainment system. It monitors and interprets the user’s voice commands regarding the type of music, the name of the artist, an album or an individual title.

Look after the jump for a video of how it works.

Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.

Certified Pre-Owned - 1 Year Warranty

10% discount when you renew your car insurance

Compare prices between different insurer providers and use the promo code 'PAULTAN10' when you make your payment to save the most on your car insurance renewal compared to other competing services.

Car Insurance

Paul Tan

After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

Comments

  • Calvin De La Rosa on Jun 09, 2009 at 9:04 pm

    The age of 'Night Rider' is looming… : D

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • droll on Jun 09, 2009 at 10:06 pm

    will it mute the music? else how does it pick up the voice from all the background noise?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • wallstreet on Jun 09, 2009 at 10:42 pm

    still not convince with todays technology yet…I bet you'll have to repeat again and again as the system couldn't understand your command and you'll be banging your head and switch back to manual…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • So if we say Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman will it lead us to KL or Johor?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • sportinglisbon62 on Jun 09, 2009 at 11:56 pm

    PLs dun make it too complicated…the cost to repair it will be skyrocket if broken …back to basic is ideal i think….no need stuffy things

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • michishige on Jun 10, 2009 at 1:10 am

    omg.. i cant wait to watch jeremy clarkson makes fun of it

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Paul Tan on Jun 10, 2009 at 1:17 am

    [quote comment="243777"]will it mute the music? else how does it pick up the voice from all the background noise?[/quote]

    In the current implementation that I've tried out, to get the car to listen you have to press a button on the steering wheel, when that happens the music volume is brought down. I guess this new system will do the same.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • gangully on Jun 10, 2009 at 1:28 am

    Note: BMW and most car manufacturers in the west test their cars and systems thoroughly before they embark on introducin it on their cars. that is why their lifecycles for not only their cars but also technology is 6 to 8 years. because 2 years after something is launched they start researching on the replacement.

    yeah back to basic is good. But some people would also like some technology. of course if the technology breaks down every now and then, then it is of no use. the voice recognition tech in the E65 7 series is good. no need for repetition. but that is only currently used in the context of calling using the car phone or changing radio channels. Tak der break down pun in 6 years of owning one.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • how i wish i can name my car when i call its name within a range of..lets say 10m..it wil come to me…hahahaha

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • mystvearn on Jun 10, 2009 at 2:30 am

    What happens when other people talk to as well?

    Imagine driver wants to go to A, then at command moment, passenger shouts B.

    Still some time away. Not like that E3 X-box 360 demo that girl talking to VR boy

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Calvin De La Rosa on Jun 10, 2009 at 3:10 am

    This would be brilliant during balik kampung… your wife shouting to the darn thing to go back to her kampung and you want to your's… eheheh :D

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • "Music!" … "Champagne!" …. "Mute my wife!"…. That will be perfect…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Wak Rempit on Jun 10, 2009 at 3:27 am

    [quote comment="243822"]This would be brilliant during balik kampung… your wife shouting to the darn thing to go back to her kampung and you want to your's… eheheh :D[/quote]

    Calvin,

    Still it depends on who's on the wheels, the system will only navigate the way but it doesn't drive the car… but who need a navigation system to balik kampung?

    Paul,

    I wonder which software BMW apply for their voice recognition, are they using the IBM Embedded ViaVoice software?

    Anyway, Honda is the first to equip automobiles with in-car navigation systems using advanced speech recognition and text-to-speech capabilities.

    Like the BMW one, it can identify spoken street and city names that exist across the entire continental United States… that was in 2005.

    I still remember watching Star Trek when I was a kid, looking at the captain (what his name) talking to the space ship was really something to me…

    Now only after couple of decades the technology is already available

    My 2 cents

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • How about "Transform!!" …. ??

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • hmm..addition..

    more nicer if the driver swears behind the wheel to other driver

    and the car says it back louder ..

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Bodow on Jun 10, 2009 at 5:52 am

    BMW …take me to Warong Nasi Beriyani , Tesco Ampang ….can or cannot haha

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • narrowband on Jun 10, 2009 at 6:08 am

    Paul, your adspace in main blog column (after 1st post) at 2006hrs June 9th contains explicit porno. Not that I'm super anti-porno, just didn't expect to find it here. Take note?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Calvin De La Rosa on Jun 10, 2009 at 6:25 am

    [quote comment="243824"][quote comment="243822"]This would be brilliant during balik kampung… your wife shouting to the darn thing to go back to her kampung and you want to your's… eheheh :D[/quote]

    Calvin,

    Still it depends on who's on the wheels, the system will only navigate the way but it doesn't drive the car… but who need a navigation system to balik kampung?

    Paul,

    I wonder which software BMW apply for their voice recognition, are they using the IBM Embedded ViaVoice software?

    Anyway, Honda is the first to equip automobiles with in-car navigation systems using advanced speech recognition and text-to-speech capabilities.

    Like the BMW one, it can identify spoken street and city names that exist across the entire continental United States… that was in 2005.

    I still remember watching Star Trek when I was a kid, looking at the captain (what his name) talking to the space ship was really something to me…

    Now only after couple of decades the technology is already available

    My 2 cents[/quote]

    Wak,

    What i meant was it will confuse the system… chill Wak, we know it does not 'drives' the car :)

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Cerdik on Jun 10, 2009 at 7:06 am

    Boleh blah…. he he he …

    Kedai mana masuk beb… address ajer…

    Hospital Bahagia Tanjung Rambutan boleh la…

    [quote comment="243840"]BMW …take me to Warong Nasi Beriyani , Tesco Ampang ….can or cannot haha[/quote]

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • fuyiopo on Jun 10, 2009 at 7:13 am

    I dont think it'll work properly in malaysia. Cause the way we pronounce the malay street names is way different for what the germans would pronounce it.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • roti naan1 on Jun 10, 2009 at 10:11 am

    Singapore Beemer will accept Singlish while Malaysia Beemer will accept Malaylish.

    "I wantugo KL-lah"

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • coolDog on Jun 10, 2009 at 10:40 am

    Hey, can talk about the new Mazda 3 launch???

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • coolDog on Jun 10, 2009 at 10:44 am

    i believe many Mazda fans out there..hey paul..why don't you post for the newly launched mazda 3?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • coolDog on Jun 10, 2009 at 10:46 am

    so clever?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Nutty on Jun 10, 2009 at 5:25 pm

    [quote comment="243866"]Singapore Beemer will accept Singlish while Malaysia Beemer will accept Malaylish.

    "I wantugo KL-lah"[/quote]

    Then the car replies: "Haiya, I know LAH.."

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Talk about technology… European always trapped with electronics that they does not master with. Our company 7 series is in BMW official workshop at least 30 days a year, engineers flown in from Germany, yet they can't solve the stupid I Drive error.

    There is BMW electronic for you.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Wak Rempit on Jun 10, 2009 at 6:15 pm

    Personally never experience driving a car with these voice activation systems, I am sure the system have to be tuned to suits the driver/owner voice pitch. What will happen when you have sore throat? or your uncle or father in-law wanna borrow the car?

    Good excuse not to let people borrow your car I say ! :P

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • in the near future, these cars will become self-aware. then, judgment day happens!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
 

Add a comment

required

required