Cast you minds back to the 80’s, when times were great, where all you wanted to do was hang with Lion-O and the rest of the gang in Thundercats, where you wanted to go to that bar where everybody knew your name, where the man from Del Monte always said yes and when Marathon was not only a 26 mile run but was also the rightful name of a chocolate bar crammed with peanuts. And remember Knight Rider – David Hasslehoff, with a super intelligent car called KITT…which could talk! How amazing was that!! KITT (Knight Industries Two Thousand) as we all know had the artificial intelligence which enabled it to not only communicate with Michael but to build a relationship with him. During the 80’s, we could only but dream of technology such as this…but could this all be about to change?
According to sources from the BBC, having new cars kitted out like KITT, could be well within our grasp. Within the next ten years or so, motorists are believed to be having natural two way conversations with their dashboards. This type of in car technology is known as Automotive-Telematics (AT) which will enable access to the Internet, receiving or sending e-mail, downloading digital audio and video files, or obtaining “smart” transportation information, and all by voice command. This is all made possible by
“ integrated platforms of mobile in-vehicle computing and wireless technologies which provide the foundation for safety, asset management, information, convenience and entertainment, to consumers who have increasingly diverse and mobile lifestyles.” – Aruvian Research
With the new cars of the near future being equipped with the latest in car technology, featuring developed voice recognition as well as touch sensitive technology. The future of KITT the super car is almost neigh. According to Robert Sicconi Mobile Communication Research Manager at IBM, they are currently working on such technologies to enable fluid and organic car conversations within vehicles.
The first hint of such AI can been seen now, with developments to build car-to-car communication (C2C) technology gracing our vehicles within the next couple of years, so we hear. C2C communication will in essence enable vehicles to communicate with each other, sharing information such as local hazard warnings. This is being welcomed and ushered in by EU as a very useful piece of technology. In car artificial intelligence (AI) is not a fry in the pan theory, with BMW working to build autonomous self organising communications networks for their cars and Toyota teaming up with Stanford University which are designing a talking car interface. Ing-Marie Jonsson of Stanford University, highlight the importance of designing a system which is,
“helpful, without being intrusive, a system that is fun and engaging without moving the drivers’ attention away from the driving task. This requires attention to design and a trade-off in attractiveness vs. being ignored.”
What does such technology mean for motorists of the future? Becoming increasingly dependent of machines to make decisions we should be naturally making ourselves, will lead us to be lazy unobservant drivers or will it make our lives a lot less hectic and hassle free? So the KITT of the future will be arriving soon, and sure, it won’t have such perks as a bullet proof armor or a laser power pack or a third stage aquatic synthesizer nor will it have the trademark red LED lit grill (so unashamedly 80′s), but what it can promise, is to be engaging, useful and personable.
{ 0 comments… add one now }