Luxury car maker Mercedes has announced an update to its MBUX infotainment system that includes improved voice controls, new features to its heads-up display (HUD) navigation system, and multimodal biometric authentication for added security.
The improved voice recognition control will take over some functions previously handled by physical buttons, as well as having better natural language processing capabilities that will be able to handle general inquiries in 27 languages.
Passengers in the rear of the vehicle will also be able to take advantage of the voice controls with the help of two microphones in the back — in addition to the two in the front — that can recognize the “Hey Mercedes” hot words.
The new HUD features Augmented Reality-powered navigation, with arrows that pop up in the driver’s line of sight telling them where to turn; and passengers in the rear of the vehicle are able to send navigation instruction to the driver using screens mounted on the back of the front seat headrests.
The infotainment screen is a 12.8-inch OLED panel, that aside from controlling nearly every aspect of the car by replacing 27 physical keys found in previous S-class models, also features biometric authentication.
When drivers want to log into the Mercedes Me app to make a purchase, they will now have the option to sign in using biometrics rather than the traditional PIN method. The display features a fingerprint sensor, though should they choose the driver also has the option of using the two cameras found in the S-class for facial recognition, or even their voice to log into their account.
The added security is meant to prevent unauthorized individuals from making purchases in the Mercedes Me store when using a vehicle belonging to someone else.
The update will arrive via the release of the S-class line of vehicles, though some of the features included will be available for customers who own other Mercedes models to purchase from the Mercedes Me store.
Source: Car and Driver
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