Volvo Cars and Microsoft will soon launch a wearable voice-control system that lets you talk to your car, set to début in the all-new XC90.
Volvo started off by talking about how David Hasselhoff talked to his car KITT in the TV series ‘Knight Rider’. KITT was an ’82 Pontiac Trans Am in the series, and was later shown as 2008 Shelby Mustang GT 500 KR. Now, you can have a Volvo do the same. Well, not exactly like KITT, but still quite an evolution from where we stand with cars today.
Autonomous driving aside – Volvo are actively working on that bit – with the wearable Microsoft S-Band, you would be able to tell your car to start the heater, lock the doors, flash its lights, sound the horn, or even set the destination for the navigation system. All this using their mobile app ‘Volvo on Call’ with the new Microsoft Band 2.
In November last year, Volvo and Microsoft announced their high-profile collaboration with the first automotive application of HoloLens technology. HoloLens is the world’s first fully untethered holographic computer, which can be used to redefine how customers first encounter, explore and even buy a car. Now the two companies are delivering remote voice control for Volvo cars via the Microsoft Band 2 as another milestone in their journey to jointly develop the next generation of connected automotive technologies.
“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,” said Thomas M. Müller, Vice President Electrics/ Electronics & Chassis at Volvo Car Group.
Story: Jim Gorde
