A sign of things to come
Jeep Commander Says Plenty About Computer Technology
Auburn Hills, MI, May 18. — A car pulls up next to yours at a stoplight, and
the driver is carrying on an animated conversation with no one. The driver
glances at you, continues talking to the air and drives away.
A scene from "Seinfeld?" Nope. It's the very real world of the Jeep
Commander and its voice-activated computer system. The Commander,
DaimlerChrysler's concept sport-utility vehicle, features technology to read
and send e-mail, set up appointments and activate the vehicle's security
system — all with the sound of a voice. The driver's hands stay on the wheel
and eyes remain on the road.
The Commander system starts with a "docked" or removable laptop
computer in the center console. Linked to a display on the instrument panel,
the computer will provide wireless Internet access, including current traffic
information and weather updates. The computer also delivers global
positioning system (GPS) mapping, a security system, phone connections and
mobile office functions, such as e- mail, a calendar and an appointment
schedule.
While the computer can be controlled with a keyboard, a number of functions
can be activated by the sound of the driver's voice through a microphone on
top of the Commander's instrument panel. For example, the driver can dictate
a message and the computer will translate it to an electronic message and send
it through the Internet. In the future, similar computers also will read e-mail
aloud to the driver using text-to-speech technology. The same technology can
be used to make and hear calendar appointments.
Related Article: See an in-depth article on the Jeep Commander in the
Features section. |
