Did you think how you would feel if while driving your car would speak to you with a calm and friendly voice telling you that it detected that you are tired and you should get a rest before driving more?

Or what about if it said to you that it found that you are driving nervously and somehow imprudently putting yourself and other road users at risk?

Well, these eventualities will not take long to happen to every driver. However the communication between a car through a human voice is a complex and difficult science that is still under exploration and development.

The talking car should be adapted to many parameters relevant of the drivers such as age, sex and others. Additionally such cars can be data collection centers about the drivers abilities, attitudes, habits and preferences. Many would be interested to have access to this information as for example insurance companies, advertisers, government agencies, bosses and why not spouses.

A developed driver friendly system that allows the car to speak, guide and assist the driver can significantly contribute for a better road traffic safety for everybody. This is a very interesting ongoing research and Stanford University at Palo Alto California conducts important studies in this field especially at the The Communication Between Humans and Interactive Media Lab, of the Communication Department of the University.

You will find more information on this interesting research in the article Chatting with your car may be useful to you -- but also to corporations that you will find attached with our 67th Progressive Newsletter.

There are worries that the talking car could turn out to be a major invader of our privacy. However it could just as well be a boon to all road users safety and therefore if used in the right way it would be most welcome.

Takis A. Haggiandreou
Director
 

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