Voice-Activated Commands Study by AAA

[GrySql]

Not as effective as hoped?

 

[CCalvinN]

I think given enough time and a universal set of controls (or at least an incredibly similar set of controls), they would find that using voice activated controls would be about as distracting as fiddling with controls on the dash. Most people can change the radio station or adjust the temperature while driving without causing major distraction because those features are very similar in most cars and have been the same for decades now.

 

But once we get into a task that is naturally more complex (like dictating a text message), we'll find that voice activation reduces the distraction but can't make it any less distracting than the task itself is. Think about it for a moment. Try to read and write a text message while doing anything else; while talking to someone else, while cooking, while walking around, while watching a movie... it is a naturally distracting task and takes your attention away while engaging in it. Why would anybody think that it could be done while driving? Even something car related like adding, changing, or adjusting the navigation settings... voice activation doesn't make the natural distracting nature go away.

[hybridbear]

I read this & I wondered if the test subjects were in vehicles they were familiar with or unfamiliar with. That makes a big difference.

[md13ffhguy]

It's not the voice activation systems that need further development, but rather the processors in our heads. Unfortunately, this development won't progress as rapidly as microprocessor development. We're not quite as upgradeable.

[tr7driver]

I have very few issues with the Voice commands on my C-max but my Fusion seldom functions correctly. Go figure.

[BoatDrinksQ5]

I think the the voice system tied to the Navigation is weak and very painful to use. Shouldn't take a 2minute Question/Answer interview to get directions to a store near by... or the route 'Home'

 

A driver should be able to just say "Navigation to Discount Tire" or "Directions to Home" ....and if there are multiple destinations near by it would respond "Discount Tire in Coon Rapids or Blaine?"

[corncobs]

I think the the voice system tied to the Navigation is weak and very painful to use. Shouldn't take a 2minute Question/Answer interview to get directions to a store near by... or the route 'Home'

 

A driver should be able to just say "Navigation to Discount Tire" or "Directions to Home" ....and if there are multiple destinations near by it would respond "Discount Tire in Coon Rapids or Blaine?"

I agree just a few weeks ago a tried to get directions to O'Hare airport and another time to Brookfield Zoo just for fun playing with the system.

 

I was unable to get either destination entered by voice commands and I tried for some time.

[jsolan]

I think the the voice system tied to the Navigation is weak and very painful to use. Shouldn't take a 2minute Question/Answer interview to get directions to a store near by... or the route 'Home'

 

A driver should be able to just say "Navigation to Discount Tire" or "Directions to Home" ....and if there are multiple destinations near by it would respond "Discount Tire in Coon Rapids or Blaine?"

 

I use "Destination Home" quite often and it works well. But that only works for 1 specific location. I agree in general, the one that I hate is when she asks "Search where?" and you can't reply with a city name, you need to reply with "City" so she can ask "City name?". I use voice commands for navigation quite often and have gotten used to most of the idiosyncrasies. However, searching by name is sometimes a chore since it doesn't seem to find "Hilton Hotel", but searching for "Hilton Resorts and Hotel" works. I've gotten used to using the "Spell Name" feature if she can't find my location on the first try.

[BoatDrinksQ5]

 

I use "Destination Home" quite often and it works well. But that only works for 1 specific location. I agree in general, the one that I hate is when she asks "Search where?" and you can't reply with a city name, you need to reply with "City" so she can ask "City name?". I use voice commands for navigation quite often and have gotten used to most of the idiosyncrasies. However, searching by name is sometimes a chore since it doesn't seem to find "Hilton Hotel", but searching for "Hilton Resorts and Hotel" works. I've gotten used to using the "Spell Name" feature if she can't find my location on the first try.

You are able to press the voice button on wheel....and respond with "Destination Home" and it does something(assuming 'home' is setup as a set location)? Mine just responds with a general "not found(or similar)....you can say" in response to everything i tried. I tried all kinds of things the other day... all failed.

 

Or do you have to say "Navigation"....wait for response..... then "Destination Home" ?

 

The interface is so painful....

[Hybrider]

You can also say "Nav", and wait for response.

[jsolan]

You are able to press the voice button on wheel....and respond with "Destination Home" and it does something(assuming 'home' is setup as a set location)? Mine just responds with a general "not found(or similar)....you can say" in response to everything i tried. I tried all kinds of things the other day... all failed.

 

Or do you have to say "Navigation"....wait for response..... then "Destination Home" ?

 

The interface is so painful....

 

 

You just need to say "Destination Home" once Home is programmed in. She'll reply by saying "Setting New Destination".

I believe you can also do the same for places that you have programmed in as favorites, but it's been so long since I've set one of those up I'd have to play with it some more to be certain.

 

Honestly, I don't find the interface to be all that bad once you learn the quirks. You can skip a lot of the feedback (not all), by chaining commands.

"Navigation Destination Street Address"

If you're in the current state, she'll just prompt you once for the address including the city.

"one zero six zero west addison street chicago"

Then she'll say, something about pressing the button to set the destination.

[machoman1337]

I swear, I've managed to improve my adaptation of a North American accent via my initial struggles with the voice commands on MyFordTouch. Although English is my first and best language, the way people speak it on the other side of the world can sound... strange to North Americans and Brits/Irish. I moved to Canada when I was 13 with three years in the states before that, but I never fully picked up the "traditional" accent (not that I was much of a talker in school anyway).

 

To get MFT to recognize my commands, I had to gradually adjust my pronunciations and pitch until I finally succeeded in sounding like a local.

 

Perhaps immigration aid services should use MFT to help new arrivals improve their English :P