Smart Interaction—A more natural, human conversational interface

Take the A out of AI with fluent human communication.

Freedom of speech—and the ability to interrupt

No buttons necessary; no script required.

At Nuance, we study human conversation to create technology that is easy to talk to and intuitive in its responses. That’s why our automotive speech recognition needs no buttons or prompts to be activated—and why it’s OK with shortcuts, pauses and interruptions.

With Dragon Drive, your assistant understands casual, implicit requests and responds thoughtfully, like a friend. And, like all our AI-powered innovations, the conversational interface is designed with your brand—and your priorities—in mind.

The solution

Speech recognition that people can relate to

Satisfaction with automotive assistants is directly related to how easy and natural the interaction is. Our platform is designed to optimize user experience by creating the industry’s most fluent, flexible, intuitive, and friendly conversational interface. Dragon Drive understands naturally spoken commands, knows the identity and location of each speaker, and responds with a human-like voice that can be customized to the personality of your brand.


Make it real with advanced AI

It takes a lot of hard-working technologies to create effortless in-vehicle communication, including automotive-grade signal enhancement, acoustics innovation with voice-biometrics, hybrid embedded-cloud speech recognition, natural language generation (NLG), natural language understanding (NLU), and text-to-speech (TTS).


Free users from the biggest barrier to accepting automotive assistants: the rules and constraints that regiment how they can talk to the car. Natural Language Understanding (NLU) eliminates the need for scripts, prompts, and fixed commands, delivering flexible, friendly interaction that understands even implied requests.

A paradigm shift from conventional automotive voice control systems, NLU combines proprietary technology, statistical modeling and Deep Learning based on Neuronal Networks (NN). The result? Assistants that understand what users want when they speak in their own words, executing on implicit and explicit commands as well as complex, one-shot utterances.

It’s not enough for an automotive assistant to have answers; it must also respond with intelligence that makes users feel understood. Natural Language Generation (NLG) enables assistants to contextualize answers, varying output to suit the user's prompts. As supported by Dragon Drive, the system draws content from the vehicle (for in-vehicle functions), from Nuance’s content database (for weather and other localized information) or from thoughtfully chosen, carefully integrated cloud sources to engage in real conversation. As with all Nuance innovations in contextual AI, the voice becomes yours with brand customization.

Adding to Dragon Drive’s contextual fluency is its ability to read, translating handwriting, signs, messages, and similar text into speech—and vice versa. Innovations in text-to-speech technologies allow assistants to decipher rambling, multilateral conversations and respond naturally, as a friend would.

Spare users the small talk with barge-in, a feature that allows speakers to bypass prompts, menus, lists, and help messages to get straight to the point. Designed to mimic real human interaction, this shortcut rewards directness with quicker results and seamless response to correction, interruption, and redirection.

Nothing enhances communication like shared interests—so Dragon Drive ensures that users will never run out of things to talk about. Unlike traditional systems that connect only with core domains like dialing, navigation and basic entertainment, our platform delivers a connected world of content in your distinctive brand voice. From third-party assistants to preferred apps and work platforms, there is no limit to the interoperability—and enriching conversation—your customers can enjoy in the car.

The advanced automation of driving functions places a greater burden on automotive assistants to say more, do more, and understand better. Smart interaction future proofs your cars by delivering assistants as eloquent as they are intuitive, elevating in-car speech recognition from a necessity to a pleasure. Its access to diverse domains makes multi-tasking easy, delivering an in-car experience so rewarding that users may never want to pull over.


Deliver truly collaborative dialogue

Users shouldn’t have to think before speaking to their automotive assistants. With Dragon Drive, each interaction evolves organically without buttons, wake-up words, prompts or scripts. Our conversational AI enables assistants to grasp speakers’ intent when they speak casually, forget details, or pick up a topic they abandoned hours ago.

Innovation leadership for future mobility


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