Cerence Partners With Two-Wheeler Software Specialist

Cerence is targeting the two-wheeler market through a new partnership with Micware. The latter is a Japanese developer that specializes in navigation software, with a particular emphasis on two-wheeler vehicles.

Together, the two companies will help create custom voice assistants for Japanese two-wheeler manufacturers. The partnership will leverage Micware’s two-wheeler software expertise and the Cerence Ride 2-Wheeler Mobility Platform, which optimizes Cerence’s voice technology for a two-wheeled experience.

Cerence Ride was first introduced as part of the Cerence in Motion portfolio at the beginning of the year, and has since been integrated with tooz’s Smart Glasses wearables. The solution is compatible with iOS and Android devices, and with more customized embedded operating systems. Once deployed, it allows riders to control various app features with simple voice commands, so riders can send messages, change the radio station, or check the weather without moving their hands or taking their eyes off the road.

In that regard, Cerence Ride comes with speech recognition, text-to speech, speech signal enhancement, and natural language understanding capabilities. Systems built with the platform will link a rider’s helmet to an app on a smartphone, or to the vehicle itself.

“The explosive growth of the two-wheeler market presents an exciting opportunity to leverage our experience in the automotive market for an entirely new mobility experience,” said Cerence SVP and Mobility Solutions GM Charles Kuai. “We are excited to collaborate with Micware to deliver a wide range of intelligent voice experiences to riders around the world in partnership with Japanese two-wheeler makers.”

“The integration of Micware’s navigation technologies and Cerence’s industry-leading voice interaction technologies will open up new possibilities for two-wheeler OEMs and their riders,” added Micware Director Takuma Segawa.

The partnership will lower the amount of time needed to develop a custom-branded voice assistant. Cerence’s voice assistant technology previously appeared in the A1 Pro Smart Electric Scooters from China’s 70mai.