Gizmodo
I used to want a car just like KITT when I was a kid, though perhaps without that slightly annoying nasal voice. And now a Stanford scientist is looking at whether nattering to your vehicle may be good for you, the car, other road users and even (darnit) your insurers or advertising execs.
"Your car could know a heck of a lot about you," says Clifford Nass, things like where you go, what speed you drive, what music you listen to. And, of course, companies will pay for that info, but Nass is also wondering if your car could speak back to you, would it result in you driving more safely, or even cheer you up if you were depressed?
Nass' research is interesting to insurers, of course, because if your car could detect that you consistently drove too fast or were often angrily swearing at the traffic while you wrenched at the wheel, they might be tempted to up your premiums. But Nass also sees our future cars being like dumber versions of KITT, behaving more like a co-pilot and actually speaking back to us. Perhaps pointing out that there's a pedestrian in the road ahead, or warning you that you're driving too aggressively.
Some of Nass' results are fascinating:
•Depressed drivers drive better when their car reacts as if it too is depressed
•Cars that speak in complex sentences tend to make you pay attention, rather than zoning out
•Older drivers prefer younger voices
•The car's voice is important: BMW had to recall Series 5 cars because male German drivers didn't listen to its female voice
•Drivers feel closer to the computer if they believe it's embedded in the car, rather than a remote device.
That last one seems like an extension of our personification of cars: I've named every one of my cars, and I bet you guys do too. And while a talking, monitoring, advice-giving car may be some people's idea of a nightmare, you can see that the idea has potential for improving safety: "You can imagine how much it costs for anti-lock brakes. But what if you could simply change the voice in the car?" points out Nass. What do you think, guys? Talking cars FTW? ... or KITT-like cars as nightmare? [Physorg]
Comments
The day my car says "You're driving like an asshole" will be the day I know for sure that the future has arrived.
As it is I can program my GPS to nag me about speeding, but I haven't told it to do so yet.
An intelligent co-pilot yes.
Psycho-analyst? _NO_
Since I drive almost on autopilot most of the time, I suppose a car telling me to WATCH THE FUCKING ROAD, MORON! would actually make sense for me.
On the other hand, I like to listen to recorded lectures or language lessons on longer drives. If the car interrupted the lesson everytime I got to Domo arigato, misuta roboto, I may not consider it such a good idea after all...
"... or warning you that you're driving too aggressively."
Q: What does an aggressive person do when told that they are being too aggressive?
I've been talking to mechanical equipment for years. I say things like "C'mon you piece of shit! Work!", and add things like a good hard whack (pronounced h-wack). Then the equipment works.
When machines malfunction, they must be punished.
Isn't this just gonna lead to people trying to have sex with/ marrying cars.... i guess i should say " lead to more people"
I can imagine this turning into a Vista-ish feel warning you about just about everything. Do you want to run the red light? Do you want to run over the pedestrian in the cross walk? Do you want to double the speed limit?
Does this mean one day I might have my own Wheels or Roadie?
+ Watch video
I could do without the monkey though.
"...brain half the size of a V12 engine, and all I have to do is take this wanna be pop star to the next American Idol?"
"....•Depressed drivers drive better when their car reacts as if it too is depressed"
My wife is cheating on me, I want to drive into a tree.::sobbing::
>
@Elliuotatar: "I could do without the monkey though. "
Every car needs a trunk monkey!
@Git Em SteveDave: Damnit, OK, let's try again.
"....•Depressed drivers drive better when their car reacts as if it too is depressed"
My wife is cheating on me, I want to drive into a tree.::sobbing::
**Me too, Michael. Life's not worth living. There's an elm tree 500 feet ahead on the left. Prepare to turn.**
@Git Em SteveDave: Kinda sounds like Marvin the robot, man could you imagine driving around with a Marvin in your car, that would annoy the heck out of me...
I prefer the British Female voice.
an emo Kitt? you can call it Kutt.
I don't know if I like that or not. It's bad enough that I can't listen to my Sirius when other people are in the car because they won't be quiet or they think you should talk to them or something, jeesh.
@DeCerbo: Why is there a scratch down the side of the car? Did someone key you?
**No. I drove up against a fence. It's the only way to know I feel. It's the only thing that real. Like that dog over there I ran over. It's the most beautiful thing in the world.**
Every time my wife nags me or tells me to lock the doors I tell her that women are the reason for the death of talking cars from the 70s and 80s. Why do you need a talking car with a woman in a car it would be redundant.
Seriously though those talking Datsuns from the 70s used a special record player to play the voices. Yes a record player that was built into the dash.
I'm ok to have a computer in the car, as long as it's not Marvin and also as long as he doesn't tell anyone where I go or the time I take to go from the beginning of the 720 to the 15 interchange.
I'd also like the french voice of my TomTom to tell "St Laurent" adequately, but it seems it's too much to ask.
I can see his landing a lot of people in trouble. Even if there is no monitoring being done to be sent to insurers, the car could turn into a dime-dropping nuisance, chiming in at inopportune times, telling dates about your frequent visits to the free clinic, or your boss about how you go to Scores at lunch everyday. Damn you talking car!
Cars that talk and listen. Next they'll want to cuddle and tell me we don't talk like we used to.
When I was a kid, I didn't want KITT in my car - I wanted the coyote from Hardcastle & McCormick.
@OMG! Ponies!: When machines malfunction, they must be punished.
That's what you call the good 'ol American ingenuity.
Jeez. I can just see it now. I hop in the car. It asks, "Why the long face, cowboy? Why don't I take you down to the bookstore to look for more CDs and DVDs?" And I'll have no extra spending money ever again. Ugh. Shame spiral FTL.
KITT article by Kit? Intentional? Or coinkidink?
@ripfire4: Actually, it's an old quote from the keyboardist for Nine Inch Nails after destroying a problematic keyboard on stage.
When they can make the AI as cool as Jarvis from Iron Man, then ill take it. Oh, and Microsoft can't make it. Or Apple. And its gotta be open source.
@el_bob: I did too!! I think Mark couldn't whipped Micheal's ass in a race.
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