A car navigation system that will give motorists voice directions from a mapping database is under development at a joint venture established by two Belgian companies. Phonetic Topographics was set up by Tele Atlas, which claims to be European market leader in digital information on road maps, and venture capitalist FLV Fund, which is investing $2.9m for 47% of the equity. The company will used speech technology provided by Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products NV.
Phonetic Topographics says it is in talks with vehicle navigation system manufacturers, such as Bosch/Blaupunkt and VDO, about incorporating its system in their next generation of products. Apart from its use in motor vehicles, Phonetic Topographics sees it being incorporated into PC-based route planners and internet mapping facilities. When installed in a car, the system is designed to recognize destinations such as towns, streets and even points of interest and be able to guide the driver along the route with spoken directions.
