klickTel Navigator Guides Drivers Safely to Their Destination with Nuance Speech Technology
biz.yahoo.com
Wednesday September 6, 8:00 am ET
Nuance Speech Technology Decreases Distractions at the Wheel by Speaking All Satellite Navigation Information and Relaying Voice Commands
BERLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 6, 2006--Nuance Communications (Nasdaq: NUAN), a leading provider of speech and imaging solutions, today announced it has been selected to provide its text-to-speech (TTS) technology RealSpeak(TM) for all models of the klickTel Navigator. The klickTel Navigator, the first navigation system with integrated white and yellow pages is a product of klickTel AG, a leading provider of inter-media yellow and white pages.
With the text-to-speech capabilities delivered by Nuance technology, drivers using the klickTel Navigator face far fewer distractions at the wheel. With the new Navigator K600 series, which is scheduled to be launched at the beginning of 2007, all driving instructions - including detailed street and city names - are spoken by the TTS system. In addition to using TTS for directions, the klickTel Navigator, with its advanced traffic information system based on the newest TMCpro technology, will read out up-to-date traffic information affecting the planned route. Furthermore, safety-related information, like speed limits, dangerous road sections and speed cameras, will be announced.
Drivers, even in potentially dangerous traffic situations, can now pay full attention to the traffic, keeping their eyes on the road, while being informed in a natural sounding and intelligible voice about what is happening in front of them. The new klickTel Navigator series includes RealSpeak TTS in the following languages: German, Dutch, English, French, Italian, Spanish and Turkish.
klickTel's new Navigator K600 series works with Nuance's PromptSculptor(TM), a unique tool for fine-tuning voice prompts created from textual data to a very sophisticated level to meet the high expectation of their customers. This means there are no costly recordings of prompts made in studios, and there is no dependence on the availability of the same voice talent for every system update.
A recent survey commissioned by Nuance confirmed the demand for these new features in satellite navigation devices. In this survey, over 300 drivers in Germany described their patterns of behaviour around the main functions in the car and they were asked to rate a range of speech-based features. Detailed spoken instructions inclusive street names and destination entry by voice were identified as the most important features by German respondents of which 86 percent indicated that speech-enabled navigation increases safety and 88 percent indicated that it increased the ease of use of the navigation equipment in the car.
Boris Polenske, CEO, klickTel, said: "The klickTel Navigator provides an innovative security assistant, whose functions are enhanced by Nuance's speech technology. With RealSpeak, our solution supports drivers to reach their destination safely by delivering clear and detailed spoken instructions and safety related alerts."
Peter Hauser, senior vice president and general manager, Nuance International, adds: "In the light of triple digit-growth rates and fierce competition in the mobile navigation market segment, speech technology became a key differentiating factor supporting a number of innovative features. These range from detailed driving instruction including street names, reading out of traffic alerts, destination entry by voice to voice activated dialing and voice controlled MP3 players coming with some navigation devices." |
