[Courtesy of LG Electronics]
SEOUL -- LG Electronics tied up with SoundHound, a U.S. audio and speech recognition company, to jointly develop advanced voice AI technology for new in-vehicle infotainment systems, which are seen as the heart of connected cars that provide various features such as navigation, self-diagnostics, entertainment and vehicle controls.
LG Electronics has signed a memorandum of understanding with SoundHound. The partnership will leverage LG’s innovative in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems and SoundHound’s advanced voice AI platform, which enables conversational voice control based on speech-to-meaning and deep meaning understanding technologies.
"We're excited to collaborate with SoundHound and look forward to providing new in-vehicle experiences through seamlessly integrating its voice AI platform with our latest IVI system architecture," LG's vehicle component solutions division head Eun Seok-hyun said in a statement on July 28.
LG said that SoundHound's technologies enable the evolution of voice experience from a legacy command-and-control interface to a more intuitive conversational functionalities for drivers and passengers. Drivers and passengers can pay for gas, parking, or even order food directly from their vehicles, simply by using microphones and infotainment displays.
With voice AI technology, LG said that carmakers provide a range of services that will allow drivers to perform a variety of tasks hands-free and without taking their eyes off the road.
"Our agreement with LG will allow auto manufacturers of all sizes to deliver the kind of voice-enabled infotainment experience that users have come to expect in every part of their lives," said SoundHoun CEO Keyvan Mohajer.
LG Electronics has diversified its business structure to other viable sectors such as robotics, organic light-emitting diode technology, infotainment systems and powertrain parts. ZKW, an Austrian lighting system producer acquired by LG, and partner companies are working on the development of new micromirror modules that can specifically and precisely shoot laser beams. Such modules will enable smart light functions for autonomous vehicles.
ZKW will invest $102 million to expand its Silao plant in Mexico and produce about 3.5 million premium headlights annually by 2025.
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