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‘Essential for the eVTOL taxi industry to take flight.’
The future of voice technology is rapidly approaching, according to Tobias Dengel, author of The Sound of the Future: The Coming Age of Voice Technology. Dengel predicts that voice recognition and speech synthesis technologies will revolutionize the way we interact with the digital world, expanding beyond virtual assistants on mobile devices and desktops. He emphasizes the potential for voice technology to enhance safety in the aviation industry, despite the failures of early voice systems in the Boeing 737 MAX.
One of the key advantages of voice-controlled cockpits is the ability to eliminate communication barriers between pilots and aircraft systems. Instead of relying on buttons and displays, pilots can simply speak commands, reducing response times and improving accuracy. This shift towards voice interfaces has already been embraced by companies like Honeywell and Rockwell in their aviation designs. In addition to streamlining pilot workload, voice technology has the potential to enhance real-time communication between the cockpit, air traffic control, and maintenance engineers, ensuring consistent and efficient information exchange.
Voice-controlled aviation extends beyond commercial aircraft to military flying and emerging fields like urban air mobility. Dynetics, a defense technology division, is developing AI-powered systems for high-intensity air conflicts, which include voice communication. Even the next generation of the MiG-35 fighter jet will feature a voice assistant named Rita to provide guidance and recommendations to pilots.
While the adoption of voice technology in aviation may face challenges related to trust and regulation, Dengel believes that the safety advantages of instant voice response in emergencies will ultimately drive its widespread implementation. Voice-controlled planes are expected to become commonplace in the near future, offering a safer and more efficient flying experience for pilots and passengers alike.