Ride with Alexa through Garmin Speak

The Garmin Speak device is now enabled with Alexa, helping drivers of both passenger vehicles and cargo vehicles stay up to date on traffic and navigation, or simply entertainment.

Alexa is turning out to be one helpful person. The AI-based gadget’s utility was given a new spin, thanks to an innovation brought to life by Garmin Speak, Overdrive reports. If Alexa can answer your questions, she can also answer your queries about traffic navigation.

Pairing Garmin Speak’s street navigation platform with Amazon’s Alexa Voice Service platform is the closest thing that you could achieve to an AI-powered virtual assistant. It utilizes the audio system installed in a truck to keep the driver preoccupied with some background music with traffic alerts in between.

Alexa took the AI-market by storm as an audio device that gave Siri a run for her money. Amazon Prime members are already familiar with how much of a fountain of knowledge Alexa can be. The IoT aspect of having this gadget helped in amplifying the traffic assistance from Garmin Speak. For truckers, this helps them improve route times as well as:

• Check weather updates based on pickup and destination.
• Check trucking-related podcasts for industry-based news and current events.
• Manage bookings from pickup to dropoff on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.
• Hook you up with your favorite radio station in the area.

Originally intended as a tool to help people in the household answer life’s basic questions, the wireless connectivity fits the profile of Garmin Speak. In fact, it is Garmin Speak that tweaks the settings in Alexa to make her work in a transportation setting. Adjustments are made to make Alexa function according to Garmin Speak’s turn-by-turn navigation.

Alexa was earlier reported to be installed in some vehicles manufactured by BMW.

Stay up-to-date with the latest commentary and insights on FreightTech and the impact to the markets by subscribing.