Better Speech Recognition is Coming to Chinese Cars Thanks to Banma and Nuance

Nuance Automotive has found another customer for its conversational AI, teaming up with Banma to bring better speech recognition to Chinese cars. A joint venture for Alibaba and SAIC Motor Corp., Banma will be deploying Nuance’s AI in the Banma MARS V3.0, a connected car infotainment platform that will make its first appearances in SAIC’s Roewe Marvel RX5 and the new Ford Kuga.

The improved speech recognition tech will allow drivers to use their voice to control a number of different automotive features, including music, AC, and navigation, with embedded and cloud-based features that will allow the AI to function in more remote areas. The new platform is also sophisticated enough to handle more than one simultaneous request, with over-the-air updates adding new features over time.      

“Banma MARS V3.0 represents the latest step in our efforts to make the internet-connected car the standard across China,” said Banma CEO Hao Fei. “A seamless user experience is at the forefront of this goal, which is why the collaborative process with Nuance is so important.”

Nuance Automotive recently forged a similar partnership with MG Motor for connected cars in India, and previously joined forces with the Korean telecom KT to develop a similar solution for the Korean market. Its conversational AI can now be found in more than 250 million cars from a variety of manufacturers, including Daimler, Toyota, and BMW, among many others.

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(Originally posted on Mobile ID World)