By Arthur Atangana

Mercedes-s is slowly releasing new information on the future of its in-vehicle technology, in a series of announcements for their new S-Class and its infotainment system called MBUX, which stands for Mercedes-Benz User Experience.

Earlier this year, we learned that the second-generation infotainment system will be integrated with a large touchscreen similar to Tesla’s.

It will include streaming options for music, and what Mercedes calls an eco-score, an attempt at gamification of the driving experience around eco-friendly driving practices.

One of the most anticipated features is the new augmented reality technology, that will display navigation instructions and other information right on the windshield. In a Mercedes announcement, we see directions arrows layered on top of the roads for the driver to follow.

Overall, the new S-Class that will come out later this year can be expected to have quite an upgrade in their in-cabin technology.

On Thursday July 30th, The Project Voice Series hosted a webinar on Mercedes’ in-car assistant.

The system, called “Hey Mercedes” (which is also the keyphrase to input commands to the assistant) was showcased by Mihai Antonescu, Product Manager for #HeyMercedes voice assistant in the North American market and Robert Bruchhardt, a Software Engineer in the #HeyMercedes engineering team. 

This Week In Voice’s Executive Producer and Voice of the Car Summit host Bradley Metrock was the moderator for the discussion, in which the two Mercedes-Benz employees demoed in real time the #HeyMercedes system, showcasing its capability to recognize 20 commands and a deep integration into the car’s system.

The new voice recognition system will support 27 languages, with plans to add more in the future. However, #HeyMercedes is not currently able to process multiple languages at the same time (for bilingual users).

The two Mercedes Engineers also tied the new voice recognition system to Mercedes’ MBUX, which will be installed in the new S-Class.

As one of the better automaker-designed interfaces on the market, the improved integration with #HeyMercedes is appealing for a complete experience and the ability to control the car in depth. Microphones in the rear will enable all seats to control the system.

The Mercedes voice recognition team is working on continuous improvement on its system, with Over-the-Air updates.

In early September, Mercedes will reveal its new automated driving technology to the world. Keep your ears to the ground.