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Meet ‘Chris’, voice-controlled assistant for drivers – soon coming to India
By Gokul Bhagabati
Berlin, Sep 2 (IANS) Artificial Intelligence (AI) and voice-based assistants are stealing the show at IFA 2018 here, and one of the innovative products launched at this edition of the show was “Chris”, a voice-controlled digital assistant that allows drivers to make phone calls, send messages, listen to music and get navigation guides without ever touching their smartphones.
Developed by Berlin-based start-up German Autolabs, Chris has now been launched for Germany and Britain at IFA — a leading trade show for consumer electronics and home appliances — but it could come to assist drivers in India next year, claimed a company official showcasing the product to visitors at their booth at the innovation centre of the show.
Chris fits into any car, is easy to install, and works even if the Internet goes off, said Daniel Mieves of German Autolabs.
“We will possibly be able to bring Chris to India next year. Mapping works in India, everything else works in India… but we do not yet have a distributor. We are seriously looking for a distributor there as we have a lot of requests from India,” Mieves told IANS.
“It’s our own voice assistant. The biggest benefit that Chris has over other voice assistants like Alexa is that Alexa needs Internet to work, but in the car, a driver may not always have access to Internet. Chris can work without Internet because the voice recognition technology is inbuilt in the device and it does not need the Cloud to work as is the case with Alexa,” he said.
Chris works both online and offline, meaning that if you enter a tunnel or drop out of a coverage area, Chris will continue to listen and talk to you, and also keep the navigation going, according to the description of the product in the company website.
The basic requirement for Chris is a Bluetooth-enabled smartphone, though some features do need data connection on the phone.
Conceived by Holger Weiss and Patrick Weissert about two two-and-a-half years ago, Chris also allows people to control its functioning with simple hand gestures.
According to Weissert, who is the Co-Founder and Head of Product, German Autolabs, the smart hardware in Chris supports drivers like a real co-driver.
The device can be attached to the windscreen like a navigation device and paired with the mobile phone via Bluetooth.
“Touch screens are not good in the car because they require the driver to take the eyes off the road — so voice and gestures are the future user interfaces for the car,” Weissert told the IFA International, the official show daily.
Moreover, it is illegal to use smartphones while driving in many countries. In Germany, for example, one needs to pay a fine of 100 euros if one is caught using phones while driving, a company spokesperson told IANS.
The companion app for the device is compatible with both Android and iOS, so one does not need to worry about switching phones. All you need to do is download the free Chris companion app and install it on your phone before entering the car.
The device is priced 299 euros, the spokesperson added.
(Gokul Bhagabatis is visiting IFA 2018 at the invitation of Huawei Consumer Business Group)
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.