BMW snufjes: Voice Control & Emergency Stop Assistant

Said and Done: BMW’s New Voice Control

Munich. Starting in September 2009, BMW is presenting a truly innovative, cutting-edge technology for voice control in the automobile allowing even more reliable and convenient operation and control of navigation systems and infotainment functions.

Introducing this new system, BMW is raising the driver/vehicle dialogue to a new level of excellence. For the first time, one single voice command is sufficient to completely transmit the driver’s destination into the navigation system. The driver’s verbal statement specifying the place, street and number is processed immediately by the system, all data going directly into the navigation unit.

BMW is also the first European car maker to offer voice recognition serving not only to choose the appropriate audio source, but also to find individual music titles. The BMW system monitors and interprets the user’s voice commands regarding the type of music, the name of the artist, an album or an individual title, ensuring precise access to the audio program desired.

BMW’s voice control makes the operation and control of all of BMW’s latest navigation, communication and entertainment systems particularly reliable, safe, and convenient. User-friendly optimisation of the voice control function now enables the driver to use these extended options even more conveniently, without the slightest effort.

The new system comes in a wide range of languages and is available in Germany and Austria, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Spain, Great Britain, and the USA.

Unique solution the world over straight from the factory: BMW cars “understand” complete addresses and music requests.

Introducing optimised voice control into the market in all current models as of September 2009 in combination with BMW’s optional navigation system Professional, BMW is once again setting standards in the simple and convenient control of navigation and entertainment systems fitted straight at the factory.

Following the full word destination entry introduced by BMW in 2006, the new system marks yet a further milestone in the rapid and precise selection of destinations. BMW is indeed the only car maker worldwide to offer a system able to “understand” a complete address entry. From now on the user no longer has to specify the place, street and number he is going to in individual steps, but is rather able to read out all this information in one, the entire message as a whole being covered and electronically processed by the system.

Should the driver, for example, read out the address “Berlin, Willy-Brandt-Strasse 1”, his BMW will take him straight to the Federal Chancellery in the capital of Germany.

This new system also facilitates the process of choosing your favourite music program while driving. To do so, the system supports the specific search for audio files, following various criteria according to the user’s choice. One option is to specify the type of music you desire, the artist, album or even the title of a specific song by voice control. The system then immediately presents the choice of audio files saved on the hard disc in a title list – and as of spring 2010, the system will even cover data files on a music player connected to the car.

Looking for the user’s favourite song, BMW’s voice control system also recognises several languages parallel to one another, finding, say, the English title of a song sung by a German artist without the slightest problem.

BMW voice control and BMW iDrive control: perfect combination of intuitive and safe function management.
Optimised voice control through BMW’s new system makes a significant contribution to enhanced comfort and safety in road traffic. Activation of frequently used functions by voice control ideally supplements BMW’s trendsetting iDrive control concept, offering the user the benefits of both systems all in one and ensuring largely intuitive operation of numerous vehicle and comfort functions, with the driver hardly having to take his eyes off the road. Hence, the driver is able to use the navigation and entertainment systems in his BMW quickly and efficiently, at the same time concentrating entirely on driving conditions and the traffic around him.

From the start the combination of BMW iDrive with voice control of a large number of commands ensures a supreme level of all-round efficiency. This efficiency has indeed been consistently optimised in the course of time, ranging from full-word entry in specifying destinations all the way to multi-modal control through voice control and the Controller in the latest generation of BMW iDrive. The driver is able to switch smoothly and without the slightest interruption from one entry mode to the other while performing the same process, with voice recognition remaining active for simultaneous use while making entries through the Controller.

This multi-mode operation may also be combined with new voice control functions enabling the driver to use his own particular style and mode of operation for functions he requires particularly often. To enter destinations into the navigation system quickly and in a routined manner, for example, the driver may first use voice control and then, through the Controller, call up specific information on sights and special stopovers along his route. He also has the option to pre-select the music program by voice control and then call up his favourite title at the touch of a button.

The system therefore adjusts in unique style to the user’s personal preferences, offering the safest and most comfortable mode of operation under all conditions and in every situation.

Stopping safely in an emergency.

Munich. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research in Germany recently launched a research project titled “SmartSenior – intelligent services for senior citizens” which aims to make life in old age easier and safer. Among the areas the initiative focuses on are intelligent, location-independent emergency recognition and assistance systems which allow senior citizens to feel safe and secure on the road. BMW Group Research and Technology is involved in the SmartSenior initiative through the development of an Emergency Stop Assistant, which enhances road safety in the event of a medical emergency.

Safety in an emergency.

Older people with intermittent cardiovascular problems frequently no longer trust their abilities at the wheel. This doubt stems from the fear of suffering heart or circulation-related problems while driving which might cause them to lose control of their vehicle and trigger a serious accident. It leads to a loss of personal mobility and, by consequence, a considerable drop in independence and quality of life – especially for those living in rural areas. These issues also affect people suffering certain health-related limitations such as diabetes. As Ralf Decke, project manager for SmartSenior at BMW Group Research and Technology, explains: “Our primary aim is to avoid accidents caused by a health-related loss of control – or at least to reduce the severity of such accidents.”

To this end, the engineers have set out to develop an assistance system which automatically activates an autonomous driving mode when it detects that the driver has a serious medical problem, and carries out a controlled emergency stop. In simple terms, the car switches on the hazard warning lights and manoeuvres carefully – taking into account the traffic around it – to the outer edge of the road, before drawing to a standstill. At the same time, an emergency call is sent out containing the data required to initiate the necessary medical and traffic-related assistance measures. This enables the provision of effective emergency care tailored to the situation at hand. “In order to keep a limit on the variety of possible driving situations, which vary infinitely in complexity, we are developing the prototype of our Emergency Stop Assistant initially for use on motorways and sections of roads resembling motorways,” explains Decke.

System based on existing driver assistance systems and Extended Emergency Call from BMW ConnectedDrive.

The emergency stop assistance system is based both on sensors designed to monitor vital data and on existing BMW ConnectedDrive assistance systems. The BMW Group has, for example, offered an emergency call function for ten years now. In addition to precise position location and information on the vehicle, since spring 2007 the emergency call has also included information on the accident the vehicle has been involved in. The rescue services are therefore not only able to pinpoint where the vehicle is located and to identify it by model and colour, they also have information on the number of occupants in the vehicle and the severity of any injuries. An intelligent algorithm calculates this information from data supplied by the sensors of passive safety systems (airbags, seatbelts etc.). In the future it will also be possible to pass on vital physiological data to the emergency services via this network of technology. The SmartSenior project also focuses on establishing valid vital data – here, other project partners such as Siemens and Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin take the lead role, ensuring that the required help is quickly at hand.

Assistance systems such as the Lane Departure Warning system and Active Cruise Control with Stop & Go function provide a further technological basis for the development of the emergency stop system.

Content of the Emergency Stop Assistant project.

In addition to the clarification of the legal framework, another early stage of the process involves the key development of new algorithms to register and interpret the environment around the vehicle. Here, particular focus is centred on achieving reliable localisation of the vehicle within its lane through the fusion of redundant sensors, the recognition of objects in the area surrounding the vehicle and the development of an electronic coordinator, which in an emergency takes all strategic driving decisions – instead of the driver – and passes them on to the relevant interfaces governing the longitudinal and lateral position of the vehicle.

BMW Group Research and Technology
BMW Forschung und Technik GmbH is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BMW AG and has been responsible for research at the BMW Group since 2003. VehicleTechnology, CleanEnergy (hydrogen technology), EfficientDynamics (intelligent energy management/alternative drive systems), ConnectedDrive (driver assistance/active safety) and ITDrive (IT and communications technology) activities all come under its umbrella. Its legal independence as a GmbH (limited company) ensures creative freedom and unbeatable flexibility. The Managing Director of BMW Forschung und Technik GmbH is Prof. Raymond Freymann. Worldwide access to trends and technologies is provided by an established international network with bases in the USA (Palo Alto, CA and Clemson, SC) and Japan (Tokyo), plus Liaison Offices in France with Eurécom (Sophia Antipolis) and in Germany in the shape of the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI GmbH) in Saarbrücken.

The SmartSenior project.
“SmartSenior – intelligent services for senior citizens” is a development project bringing together a total of 29 renowned partners from the fields of research and industry. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research is supporting this alliance to the tune of EUR 25 million as part of its high-tech strategy for Germany.