Sure pretty much all navigation systems now provide turn-by-turn voice commands, can point you to the nearest Starbucks, and even help you avoid traffic jams. But let’s face it, it’s not the same as communicating with an actual human passenger.
Well Audi together with MIT want to bridge the gap between robot and human when it comes to in-vehicle communication systems. AIDA or Affective, Intelligent Driving Agent is a system they developed to add a little human touch to an otherwise robotic system.
AIDA is designed to use facial simulation to effectively communicate and aid the driver. It’s obvious that you wouldn’t confuse this for a real person, but humans are able to easily understand facial-like expressions that systems like AIDA simulate.
AIDA also comes equipped with the ability to learn your driving habits such as the types of destinations you visit and when your errands are complete. The system constantly monitors the surrounding environment and will suggest alternate routes to avoid traffic and accidents.
As this technology is perfected and advances forward, we can only imagine how future communication systems will behave in vehicles. One thought would be a system that remembers your typical stops depending on the day of week, and may prompt you of your next stop/task if it appears you may have forgotten. Check out the demonstration video below.
[Via MotorAuthority]
Tags: AIDA, gps, MIT, navigation, Robot
