Rivian has recently commented on how voice control can be a better solution than physical buttons in cars.
Wassym Bensaid, chief software officer at Rivian, recently attended the TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 conference, where he described buttons and other physical controls in cars as a "bug" rather than a "feature."
According to Bensaid, voice control should be the preferred way of interacting with one's car. However, he also pointed out that most voice control systems today do not function optimally.
Many drivers may find it difficult to get used to the idea of using voice control instead of buttons.
One of the biggest advantages of physical controls is that they require minimal attention once you get to know the location. You can e.g. adjust the air conditioning or turn on the wipers without taking your eyes off the road.
This is written by The Drive .
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This makes it possible to react quickly and precisely, which can improve safety in traffic. Voice control, on the other hand, often requires you to stop and formulate a command that the system can understand, which can disrupt the choral experience.
At the same time, many car manufacturers choose to implement touch screens, as they are cheap to install and offer great functionality in a small space.
Displays have also seen a rise in popularity due to their similarity to smartphones, which many consumers are already accustomed to using. However, this trend has led to cars with more screens than ever before, while voice control has also received renewed attention as a possible solution.
Voice control has been around in cars for decades, but with varying degrees of success. Earlier models offered simple voice commands that could be used for basic functions such as to adjust the temperature.
These older systems could often require very specific formulation, limiting their usefulness. Although modern voice control systems have improved with more advanced technology and natural language understanding, they can still be perceived as imprecise and time-consuming.
In addition, voice control raises questions about data security. As cars increasingly can record and store user commands, it can raise concerns about privacy and data collection. For many users, it is a factor that should be considered when new technologies are introduced in cars.
Although Rivian and other technology companies are working to improve the functionality of voice control, not all drivers find this solution superior. For some, physical buttons and control options will continue to be a simple and reliable method that does not require the same attention as voice commands.
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