CES 2016: Volvo brings wearable tech with Voice Control for cars

Thanks to our garrulous nature, talking is now the national pastime everywhere. We talk on everything we see, we talk about anything we come across and now we even talk to anything that we wear!

In the automotive industry, thankfully, there was more of quiet for a long time. But now, courtesy advancements in telecommunication and gadgetry we cannot live with anything that has the word ‘smart’ attached to it. Case in point being the smartphone and the smartwatch.

This month at the Consumer Electronics Show, carmakers have gathered to show their best product innovations and how far they have come in making driving more gadget-oriented. Today, we talk about Volvo’s new experiment with wearable tech and voice control.

Thomas Muller, Vice President Electrics/Electronics and E-Propulsion at Volvo Car Group, said: “Volvo is intent on making the car experience as easy and convenient as possible by utilising the latest technology in the most relevant and inspiring ways. With voice control, we are only just beginning to scratch the surface of what is possible with digital assistant functionalities.”

At the show, the Swedish carmaker debuted its Voice Control setup which allows the driver to talk to their car via their smartwatch. Very unlike the company, but as they have made known, they too are looking to explore areas outside the ‘traditional automotive arena’. This tech is very similar to Apple’s Siri setup on the latest iPhones, and should be second nature to many smartphone users. Volvo’s wearable voice control system enables owners to control their car’s functions from a Microsoft Band 2 smartwatch.

In the case of Volvo, the new tech will allow drivers to send addresses to the car’s navigation system, set the car’s climate control and even lock the doors from the comfort of their own home.

You may say that the news sounds familiar as carmakers like BMW and Jaguar Land Rover have already started using this technology. With JLR, you have the new InControl Infotainment system which enabled with their JustDrive app allows users to interact with their apps and smartphone rather than have a robotic voice drone on.

The system is available to all customers with the Volvo on Call functionality in their car, and will debut in the spring. So Volvo XC90 owners with the Sensus system could also hope for this technology coming their way in India.

Till then watch the video to see how this technology works: