Automotive tech and artificial intelligence expert Cerence Inc. has announced the new Cerence Tour Guide, an AI-powered application that aims to bring professional-quality guided tour content directly into vehicles for automotive assistants.
For the Cerence Tour Guide, Cerence has combined its proprietary multi-lingual text-to-speech technologies with curated content from a number of partners including Viator and Road.Travel, and is looking to create a new, enriched driving experience that makes the driver feel like they have their own human tour guide with them at all times.
“As usage of AI-powered voice technologies grows in the car, we are always looking for new ways that we can add value to the in-car experience for OEMs and their drivers,” said Nils Lenke, VP & GM, Cerence Applications. “Cerence Tour Guide brings a completely new set of capabilities to the mobility assistant, furthering its role as a concierge on the go with a new ability to guide drivers and passengers through exciting new journeys and deepening the connection between driver and automaker.”
The news comes during what has been a period of strong growth for Cerence, as it recently celebrated its first full year as a standalone firm following its spinoff from conversational AI pioneer Nuance Communications in 2019. Additionally, just last week the company announced a strong set of fiscal results showing positive year-over-year growth.
“We’re excited to connect our marketplace of experiences to travelers using Cerence Tour Guide,” said Sarah Dines, Vice President of Business Development for Viator. “This is the first time Viator’s marketplace will be available through a voice-enabled system, and we’re excited to work with Cerence to help travelers explore their destinations, particularly as more travelers take to the road for vacation.”
Cerence Tour Guide is capable of gathering information and insights from history, geography, and architectural highlights, as well as popular hiking routes and walking trails, and feeding that information directly to the car’s passengers.
The new system features two different modes with their own unique features depending on what the driving experience calls for. Its Planned Tour mode gives drivers the ability to plan their journeys regardless of whether they are sightseeing in a new city or going on a multi-day trip. The Explore Mode is meant to be a more casual experience, and selects points of interest along the driver’s route and presents them with information as they travel based on a number of pre-set preferences.
“When we started Road.Travel, our mission was to make road trip planning as easy as downloading a movie,” said Nikita Dedik, Founder and CEO, Road.Travel. “Thanks to Cerence Tour Guide, we can now bring the curated road trip experience into connected cars, with safety and simplicity as our top priorities.”
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