[gps-talkusers] Re: Voice-Activated GPS

Voice commands have some benefits and some liabilities. Indeed Charles has a Garmin Nuvi 880 and we are quite familiar with its pros and cons. At the last Consumer Electronics show, I got a demo comparing the Garmin with a similar Magellan system. Garmin had a vehicle on the show floor so you could get inside, close the doors and operate it in a relatively quiet environment. Magellan would not demo their system because it wouldn't work in the noisy booth environment. The reliability of voice recognition goes way down when their is noise and wind.
The other consideration is where the microphone is situated. Do you use a built in mic or do you have an external mic, either Bluetooth or a wire? You can see how in a pedestrian situation, voice input on a regular basis is not simple.
Back in 1995, I loaded the Dragon voice recognition software with our prototype Strider GPS system. The command to arrow down through the menus was, "Down." As I was walking along with my dog, I started trying to scroll through the menu saying, Down, Down, Down! The system responded some of the time but my Seeing Eye dog responded all of the time. I couldn't at first figure out why he kept stopping. Needless to say, my dog was trying to obey the Down command. I subsequently changed the Dragon command to abajo, the Spanish word for Down and it did work a bit better.
Command an control can work reasonably well but entering addresses or selecting points of interest by name is much trickier with voice recognition.
Sendero continues to look at all options. Voice recognition seems sexy but when you really try to implement it, the trade offs still aren't justifiable. Now, if someone can't use their hands or can't type faster than 15 words per minute, the equation can be different. 

We will continue to closely watch the dvelopment of voice recognition software.

Mike

At 10:54 AM 8/21/2008, you wrote:

Welll, I don't work for Sendero.  I agree that it is something that
would be nice to have, but only the developers can work out the cost vs.
benefit ratio to determine if this is something that they want to sink
resources into development.  I have voice access features on my cell
phone, but do not use it because getting the phone to understand voice
commands in the mnoisy environments that I usually find myself in when I
want to use the phone, is a lot more of a hastle than simply pressing a
few buttons.

Andy


-----Original Message-----
From: gps-talkusers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:gps-talkusers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Scott Granados
Sent: Thursday, August 21, 2008 10:28 AM
To: gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [gps-talkusers] Re: Voice-Activated GPS

Andrew, I'd like to respectfully disagree.
    First, I'm not sure what makes a feature necessary or not but to me
a feature is a feature and more features is generally a good thing.
    Now that I'm an actual user of GPS tools I'm thinking that some
voice control would be nice.  For example it would be nice to do things
like

"what is my  GPS quality?"  "what is my heading?"  "what is the up
coming intersection?"  "where is the nearest Jamba Juice?" and more.  My
thinking is, especially on the heading / stuff you'd like to know when
you're traveling it would be nice to interact with the device with out
using your hands.  Especially when cane / dog traveling and carrying
lots of bags or you know having your hands full.  Granted you'd probably
still have to tap a button to activate the process but it's trivial to
slap a quick bt key compared to entering in commands or screen tapping
depending on device.  My vantage point is on this that I'm a big
Microsoft voicecommand user and would love to see that functionality
extended.  Using a device with natural language and not having to train
it first is pretty hot.


Just my unsolicited $.02;)


----- Original Message -----
From: "Baracco, Andrew W" <Andrew.Baracco@xxxxxx>
To: <gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, August 21, 2008 8:43 AM
Subject: [gps-talkusers] Re: Voice-Activated GPS


>I believe that this system is designed to allow motorists to keep their
> hands on the wheel.  It may also assist people who have disabilities
> that effect the use of their hands.  Something like this may be a
> convenience for blind people, but not necessary.
>
> Andy
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: gps-talkusers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:gps-talkusers-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of O'Farrell,
> Catherine J.
> Sent: Thursday, August 21, 2008 7:45 AM
> To: gps-talkusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [gps-talkusers] Voice-Activated GPS
>
> I have several vets who have seen the TV commercials for the Nuvi 880
> GPS which is voice-activated.  Is Sendero planning to develop a
> voice-activated GPS for people who are visually impaired? You would
make
> lots of O&Ms and Vets who would be very happy! Catherine
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: FreeLists Mailing List Manager [mailto:ecartis@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
> Sent: Thursday, August 21, 2008 1:03 AM
> To: gps-talkusers digest users
> Subject: gps-talkusers Digest V5 #205
>
> gps-talkusers Digest Wed, 20 Aug 2008 Volume: 05  Issue: 205
>
> In This Issue:
> [gps-talkusers] Changing GPS Receivers
> [gps-talkusers] Braille note classic
> [gps-talkusers] Re: Braille note classic
> [gps-talkusers] Re: Braille note classic
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:38:55 -0400
> From: "Jim Stanga" <jimstanga@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [gps-talkusers] Changing GPS Receivers
>
> Hello:
>
>
> I have just upgraded from the Holux 236 to the Holux M1000 GPS
Receiver.
>
> I have the Braille Note mPower 32 BT.
>
> Do I need to delete the 236 before installing the M1000? If so, how do
I
> delete the 236?
>
>
>
> Looking forward to the M1000!
>
>
>
> Jim Stanga
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> From: "Howard Kaufman" <wa9top@xxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [gps-talkusers] Braille note classic
> Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:26:39 -0500
>
> A friend of mine has Sendero on an old bvoice.  The machine is about 5
> years old, it has infra-red but not bluetooth.  He is having trouble
> with his old receiver because the cereal cable breaks over time and
use.
> Is their a bluetooth that would plug into the cereal port on the
braille
> note?
> Then he
> could buy a new receiver?
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> From: "Howard Kaufman" <wa9top@xxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [gps-talkusers] Re: Braille note classic
> Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:05:36 -0500
>
> I lost the note.  That's voice note, not old voice.  Well he has that
> to, because unlike me, he is old.  We have been friends since I was
six.
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2008 19:16:49 -0700
> From: Charles LaPierre <charles@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [gps-talkusers] Re: Braille note classic
>
> Hi Howard, I assume that is a classic since it doesn't have bluetooth.
>
> I did a little poking around but didn't see anything that is small
> enough to do what you want.  So I think the only option would be to
> upgrade to an mPower that has bluetooth, or find some other serial
> GPS receiver but those are becoming scarce to find.
>
> Charles.
>
> At 07:05 PM 8/20/2008, you wrote:
>>I lost the note.  That's voice note, not old voice.  Well he has
>>that to, because unlike me, he is old.  We have been friends since I
> was six.
>
> Charles M. La Pierre
> CTO Sendero Group
> "The GPS company." Distributors of the mPower, PK, Victor Stream,
> Voice Sense, KNFB Mobile Reader, Talks, Miniguide and ID Mate
> 1-888-757-6810
>
> Lat. 37 15' 25" N  Lon: 121 53' 04" W
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> End of gps-talkusers Digest V5 #205
> ***********************************
>
>
>



Michael G. May

CEO Sendero Group
"The GPS company:" Featuring GPS on the mPower, PK and Voice Sense. And, coming soon, Mobile Geo for Window Mobile devices. . Also distributing Trekker, Victor Stream, KNFB Mobile Reader, Talks,, Mobile Speak, Tiger embossers, Miniguide and ID Mate
Crashing Through, a book about Mike May, by Robert Kurson, available at http://www.CrashingThrough.com 

MikeMay@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.SenderoGroup.com

1-888-757-6810, Fax (530) 757-6830, Mobile (530) 304-0007
Sendero Group, LLC
429 F Street, Davis, CA 95616, USA

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