The New Artificial Intelligence Of Car Audio Might Improve More Than Just Tunes
Hollywood has perennially portrayed Artificial Intelligence (AI) as the operating layer of dystopian robots who replace unsuspecting humans and create the escalating, central conflict. In a best case reference, you might imagine a young Hailey Joel Osment playing David, the self-aware, artificial kid in Spielberg’s polar-caps-thawed-and-flooded-coastal-cities world (sound familiar?) of AI: Artificial Intelligence who (spoiler alert) only kills himself. Or maybe you recall Robin Williams’s voice as Bicentennial Man who, once again, is a self-aware robot attempting to thrive who (once again on the spoiler alert), ends up being his only victim. And, of course, there’s the nearly cliché reference to Terminator and its post-apocalyptic world with machines attempting to destroy humans and, well, (not-so-spoiler alert) lots of victims over a couple of decades. In none of these scenarios, however, do humans coexist with an improved life, let alone enhanced entertainment and safety.
That, however, is the new reality. Artificial Intelligence algorithms can be included into audio designs and continuously improved via over-the-air updates to improve the driving experience. And in direct contradiction to these Hollywood examples, such AI might actually improve the human’s likelihood to survive.
Until recently, all User Interface (UI) including audio development has required complex programming by expert coders over the standard thirty-six (36) months of a vehicle program. Sheet metal styling and electronic boxes are specified, sourced and developed in parallel only to calibrate individual elements late in development. Branded sounds. Acoustic signatures. All separate initiatives within the same, anemic system design that has cost manufacturers billions.
But Artificial Intelligence has allowed a far more flexible and efficient way of approaching audio experience design. “What we’re seeing is the convergence of trends,” states Josh Morris, DSP Concept’s Machine Learning Engineering Manager. “Audio is becoming a more dominant feature within automotive, but at the same time you’re seeing modern processors become stronger with more memory and capabilities.”
And, therein, using a systems-focused development platform, Artificial Intelligence and these stronger processors provides drivers and passengers with a new level of adaptive, real-time responsiveness. . “Instead of the historical need to write reams of code for every conceivable scenario, AI guides system responsiveness based on a learned awareness of environmental conditions and events, states Steve Ernst, DSP Concept’s Head of Automotive Business Development.
The very obvious way to use such a learning system is “de-noising” the vehicle so that premium audio can be tailored and improved despite having swapped to winter tires or other such ambient changes. But LG Electronics has developed algorithms running in the DSP Concept’s Audio Weaver platform to allow voice enhancements of the movie’s dialogue during rear-seat entertainment to accentuate it versus in-movie explosions, thereby allowing the passenger to better hear the critical content
Another non-obvious aspect would be how branded audio sounds are orchestrated in the midst of other noises.
