By Charles Kuai, SVP & GM, Mobility Solutions
With growing consumer demand for green and safe travel options, compounded by the effects of the pandemic, the use of two-wheel vehicles is expected to accelerate. Two-wheelers are even becoming the preferred mobility solution in many congested urban cities worldwide. In fact, Daedal Research, in its Market Forecasts for the Global Two Wheels Market 2020-2024: Market Forecasts Under COVID 19, shows that production of two-wheelers will exceed 261 million vehicles from 2020-2024. This explosive growth of the two-wheeler market is serving as a catalyst for software-defined mobility solutions and new safety-enhancing technologies that elevate the rider experience. That’s why we’re bringing our more than two decades of automotive experience to this growing area of mobility, recently introducing a new automotive-grade, intelligent software solution for two-wheeler travel that will help keep riders safer and more connected than ever.
Leveraging Cerence Ride, our two-wheeler mobility platform, OEMs deliver an unparalleled co-pilot experience for electric and gas-powered scooters and two-wheelers. Cerence Ride provides Android, Linux and iOS operating system support and out-of-the-box Bluetooth headset connectivity and can be used as an extended interface that seamlessly connects to riders' mobile devices, providing them with "distraction-free" navigation, route planning and riding records. Think of this AI-powered co-pilot as a virtual companion that keeps riders informed, entertained, and completely connected to their entire digital life – all while they stay safe and focused on the ride.
Riders can now navigate, listen to music and other media, adjust settings, and even control their smart home devices, all without taking their hands off the handlebars or their eyes off the road. With intelligent recommendations for situational awareness, riders can also proactively obtain important information from vehicle sensors and cloud information to optimize their journey ahead of time. And friends or family riding together in both small and large groups can chat with each other through our fun group communication feature with noise cancellation technology, keeping them closely connected throughout their journeys and bringing a deeper feeling of community and enjoyment of the environment to the experience. These features improve not only the travel experience, but also riding convenience and safety.
Beyond these new co-pilot capabilities, Cerence Ride takes the on-road environment into account at every turn. Two-wheeler rides are generally quite noisy, but automotive-grade speech signal enhancement (SSE) and beamforming technology eliminate noise from captured audio signals for wake-up-word and speech recognition via an on-board microphone or Bluetooth headset. This means riders are always clearly understood, no matter the conditions around them.
We’re excited to bring this software-defined mobility solution and a new level of intelligence to this increasingly popular mode of transportation, giving riders an experience that helps keep them safe, productive, and entertained while on the road. In the future, we even see this extending to bicycles, both in recreational settings and as they gain popularity as first-mile and last-mile solutions during daily commutes.
To learn more about the Cerence Ride and our other mobility platforms, visit https://www.cerence.com/cerence-products/mobility-platforms.