Cerence Audio AI: New Innovations Powering Growth in Global Adoption
By Stefan Hamerich, Senior Director, Product Management
Whether it's passengers talking over each other, children streaming shows in the back seat, engine noise, sirens, a blaring infotainment system or all the above swelling into a cacophony of distracting noises, the in-vehicle experience is noisier than ever. The mix of overlapping sounds that too often define the automotive and transportation user experience challenge users’ abilities to hear, be heard and stay aware.
Today, automakers and trucking OEMs face growing pressure to deliver safe, enjoyable user experiences as vehicles function not just as modes of transportation, but communication and entertainment hubs.
Unmatched innovation has long cemented Cerence AI’s role as the leader in conversational AI for automotive and beyond. This includes our Cerence Audio AI suite, which enhances speech communication experiences and enables robust interaction with multi-zone voice assistants using advanced AI technologies. It is comprised of several different solutions, including our Speech Signal Enhancement (SSE), which improves voice clarity by removing interfering signals and background noises. In addition, our Emergency Vehicle Detection (EVD) detects siren sounds from emergency vehicles to alert the driver, or autonomous vehicle system, that an emergency vehicle is nearby. These solutions are foundational to natural and personalized interactions between users and their vehicles, and their market prevalence is only growing.
With recent design wins including some of the largest automakers and trucking OEMs in Germany, France, China, Japan, the U.S., and India, organizations across the globe are tapping the Cerence Audio AI suite to enhance experiences on the road and beyond.
And, by combining state-of-the-art speech enhancement technologies with the latest deep learning methods, our solutions achieve superior performance with moderate CPU requirements. This enables us to continuously push the boundaries of what the Audio AI Suite can achieve on embedded platforms, meeting evolving industry requirements including cutting-edge multi-zone voice assistants. The latest best-in-class innovations from Cerence AI Audio include:
Advanced removement of speech interference: A new generic speaker separation mechanism helps to suppress interfering sounds and voices to focus on the commands given to the system. The solution supports a wide range of microphone configurations, such as microphone arrays or seat-dedicated microphone arrangements, thus offering customers great flexibility in the microphone setup.
Improved voice activity detection: Enhancements to speech processing include higher accuracy and a more precise understanding of who is talking at any given time, ensuring a more personalized interaction.
More robust wake-up word recognition: Updates to help identify when a wake-up word is said, even in the most challenging, noisy environments, with loud infotainment playback.
Further development of Emergency Vehicle Detection (EVD): Improved siren detection, with exterior microphones capable of reaching more than 800 meters, can identify various sirens from 47 countries worldwide, including Japan’s newest tones for firetrucks and other emergency vehicles.
Intuitive, personalized interactions in vehicles – from traditional automobiles and two-wheelers to tractors and robotaxis – start with accurate and reliable interaction. Without key foundational technologies, AI-powered interactions are limited because voices can’t be detected properly, and commands are, in effect, lost in translation. The Cerence Audio AI suite delivers enhanced automotive and transportation experiences with less interference and more personalization and awareness.
To learn more about the Cerence AI Audio suite visit: Audio AI | Cerence AI
