Principal Investigator Joseph Coughlin
Co-investigator James Glass
Project Website http://agelab.mit.edu/study-speech-interfaces-vehicle-environment
Automobiles have always been a showcase for the newest and latest technology. From the GM Motorama concept cars of the 1950’s to the cars on dealer lots today, the automobile has been an environment which has provided dreamers, engineers, and even some best described as science fictionists, a canvas on which to paint creative ideas. As the results of decades of brainstormers’ fantasies becoming reality in the twenty-first century, it is important to take a step back and to consider the consequences of introducing new technology into the automobile. One recent area under much review is speech–based human-vehicle interactions. However older and more technologically adverse operators currently experience difficulty learning command based syntaxes for speech interaction due to their unfamiliar syntax. The ultimate acceptability of speech based systems for in-vehicle interactions therefore lies in the development of more intuitive naturalistic modes of interaction. For example, when considering in vehicle-based speech interfaces, one would like to know how speech, language and dialogue can be most effectively used by drivers of different ages and technological backgrounds to perform information retrieval tasks. To optimize this technology for groups with different technological backgrounds and demographics, the AgeLab and MIT CSAIL are assessing the impact of this technology on vehicle occupants across the age spectrum to determine how speech-interfaces can enhance the driver and passenger experience and use of in-vehicle systems while minimizing distraction and confusion.