Here it is. a preliminary faq. Please feel free to ask more questions. they will be used to put together a finalized FAQ and for general device information.
For those who dont know, I have developed a voice recognition module (VRM) for cars .. u know .. "Computer! Open windows!" and it does I am teaming up with StreetEffectz (ron) to distribute them. I will be designing/programming them, he will be doing installs. Official unveiling will be at Hot Import Nights in Atlantic City on april 7th, so come see us (going to premier in his brother's BMW)

well here's the FAQ.

1. Is the VRM compatible with any car?
A. Yes. It will work with any car (see #2)

2. What kinds of accessories can the VRM control?
A. Anything you can control with an electronic switch can be controlled with the VRM (i.e. windows, doors, radio, TV, lights, seats, sunroof, Navigation system, etc). Naturally, an older car without power windows or power locks will not be able to have those accessories controlled by the VRM.

3. Can the average person do the installation?
A. The installation should be done by a professional familiar with the setup and functionality of the VRM.

4. Can I design my own "macro" commands?
A. Yes! Every module can be set up with your own macro commands. What this means, is that you can have one command do several things in sequence or at the same time (i.e. roll down windows, open sunroof, turn on strobes, turn up the music with one command)

5. Do I have any say over what kinds of command and the number of input and outputs that the VRM can support?
A. Yes! Every module is custom designed and custom programmed for your application. You have total control over the results.

6. What kind of accuracy can I expect?
A. As with any voice recognition system, there will be some errors. Background noise, physical and emotional states of the speaker, distance from the microphone, etc can have effect on the recognition accuracy. In testing, accuracy levels of 97% are average.


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-Fiddler
1998 Accord EX V6 Coupe (HomePage)

 

Sounds awesome! I only have a few questions.
1) What is the estimated price? Does it depend on how many macros you install?

2) How many macro commands can it handle?

3) Do all the commands have to be programmed at the time of installation?

4) Will it be able to recognize my voice over any music that is playing?

5) Say I had the VRM installed, but then later I got the Alpine GPS navi or any other after market electronics, can I have it connected to the VRM with little trouble?

Sorry for the questions. I cant wait. It sounds amazing. Good Luck!

 

I just read the post about "what you would do if you had the VRM" It estimated the price so I guess scratch question #1. Sorry

 

1) What is the estimated price? Does it depend on how many macros you install?
Price isn't set yet but the basic unit (up to 15 commands, up to 8 outputs) with installation should be somewhere around $700-$800 (price not set, do not quote me on this!! )

2) How many macro commands can it handle?
There are up to 15 commands total. Any one of them could be a macro or a single command. Any one command can control any of the outputs
3) Do all the commands have to be programmed at the time of installation?
Yes, but the device will have a serial port for future upgrades (as of now, i would have to do the upgrades myself)

4) Will it be able to recognize my voice over any music that is playing?
As with any other voice recognition, the commands first need to be "trained" (before it can recognize "windows up", you have to say "windows up". If you say the phrase in absolute silence, it will recognize it best with absolute silence. For best results some road or wind noise should be introduced. Loud music WILL interfere with recognition. (later version in planning WILL have a backup button for every macro so if you cant say the word, you can press the corresponding button)

5) Say I had the VRM installed, but then later I got the Alpine GPS navi or any other after market electronics, can I have it connected to the VRM with little trouble?
"little trouble" is relative In order to connect more devices, your modules would need to support more outputs to start with. (if you purchase an 8-output model and connect all of them, you'll have no more outputs to use)
I am currently designing these modules to be upgradable, so you should be able to add more functionality to your existing unit. It would require a new relay board and new software.

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thanks for the questions! keep'em coming!



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-Fiddler
1998 Accord EX V6 Coupe (HomePage)

 

this is so cool, makes me wish i had more gizmos and gadgets in my car thatll make use of it.

 

here's another point of interest for you guys:
as far as number of outputs. A control such as a window would need 2 outputs (one for window up, one for window down), on the other side, if you want to control all 4 windows at the same time ONLY (all down or all up), you would also only need 2 outputs (1 for all up, 1 for all down) .. so it balances out. If you want to have separate controls for each of teh 4 windows, you'd need 8 outputs!
keep that in mind

Basically a 2 way control (up/down) needs 2 lines out, a 1 way control (a pushbutton switch like radio power) would need 1 line out.

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-Fiddler
1998 Accord EX V6 Coupe (HomePage)

 

are you providing an SDK so we can play with it too

 

not yet, but thinking about it. right now, i will only do "basic" modules. they will have some upgradability but not total. it all depends on how popular this gets

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-Fiddler
1998 Accord EX V6 Coupe (HomePage)

 

"Race Mode"

Windows up, sun roof closes, cruise control off, turns on strobes, climate control off, shifts to D4, catalytic converter is bypassed, shuts down rear tail lights, high beams and fogs come on, APEX'i V-AFC increases fuel pressure and lowers VTEC engagement point, NOS is switched to come on at WOT, radio off, visor monitors shutdown.

Now *THAT* would be cool.


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2001 Silver TL, non-navi, Inspire tails & wood steering wheel, 2 burlwood dash kits & shift knob, TL-S passenger vent trim, Alumapro BP-10 & ZX400TI Phoenix Gold, Python 1500 ESP (remote start, all windows up & down, sunroof closes, prox, etc), factory spoiler & body kit, AEM short ram intake, blue alarm LEDs, Mugen grill, Comptech sways, springs & exhaust, SuperCrystal lugs.

On order: 19" Alstadt IVs, 225/35ZR19 Nitto 555s, Apex'i V-AFC.

Nate's ride
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"Every man dies, not every man lives."

 

well, i draw the line at controlling primary engine systems and transmission

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-Fiddler
1998 Accord EX V6 Coupe (HomePage)

 

I guess you just aren't man enough to do it on my car without me having to pay you.

 

 

that is cool!
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Moderator on Acura-TL.com Forums

2000 Red Hot TL w/o nav
Burlwood Trim and Shift Knob
Wood Trim Set
Gutter Guard Grill
Nebraska Legal Darkest Tint
Goodyear Eagle HP Ultra Plus 225/55/16
Photos Of My RED HOT TL

 

One question, can I have you and Ron's Autograph so I can say I knew you before you became famous.

This is a landmark event. The people at HIN will sh-t.

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1999 Firepepper Red
Under Body Kit/Rear Wing Spoiler/26 Piece Wood Grain Console/BurlWood Shift Knob/
30% Smoke Tint/Comptech Sways & Springs (not installed yet)

More Pics

 

heheheh .. dont make my head swell please

 

you know that eclipse has had this stuff for a while right? your going to have to have a pretty competative price!

 

send me link to the eclipse stuff.. plus can the eclipse one control any accessory in your car, or allow for custom macros? or total control over what it's doing?

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">[This message has been edited by Fiddler on March 19, 2001 @ ]</font>

 

this sounds extremely bad ass and i want one! fiddler, if you were to finish the project and everything run stable. would you consider doing it a bit cheaper if i personally purchased a plane ticket for you to fly over here and install it for me? seriously.

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'01 Lexus IS300
'91 Acura NSX
'95 Nissan Maxima

 

also, what if i loose my voice or something? can the windows and everything else still be controlled like a normal car???

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'01 Lexus IS300
'91 Acura NSX
'95 Nissan Maxima

 

check your email

 

man, this thing is so sick! why do all the cool people have to live in NJ???

 

"next time, dont underestimate the awesome drawing power of the garden state"
-Dogma

road trip to NJ everyone.. woo!

 

DAMMM... sounds to good to be true... will their be any other way for us west coast individuals to get into this project before anyone else does at a good price... such as maybe reselling this HOT commodity for you guys...?????

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1996 Acura TL 2.5, 18 inch Giovanna Corsicas, 225 40x18 Falken GRB's, Inspire Bumper Lights, Ground Control Coilovers, PIAA Platinum Series lightbulbs, & finally painted the sideskirts and removed those ugly liscense plate holes in the front bumper

 

I knew I moved to NJ for a reason . I'm in Pisthataway...

What is the ETA for availability of this cool gadget? Beta testgroup ?

 

No, it's not too good to be true! It works, I have seen it personally. It's cool as hell. We were throwing around the idea of ........ I might put air bags on my truck...can you imagine be saying "Truck, SLAM" and hearing "ssssssssssssssss" and it lowering itself Sweetness!

 

You forgot TCS off hehehe


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2001 3.2TL with Nav
Satin Silver Metallic
Factory Rear Wing Spoiler

 

west coast distribution eh? .. hehe well we'll let you guys know how it goes once the initial orders roll in. the response at HIN should be a good indicator. Right now the whole research/design/assembly/production process is handled only by me so you understand it's gonna be difficult to make a lot of these things fast (i do have a full time job ) . at least for now. If orders pick up, I'll contract out some local company to do a lot of the work or something.. but that's too much fortune-telling for my taste. When I see the actual orders, then I'll let u all know

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-Fiddler
1998 Accord EX V6 Coupe (HomePage)

 

There is a degree of error allowed in the voice itself. If another person's voice is close enough in frequency (you're both male of similar age for instance) and they speak in similar phrasing as you, the device will trigger. (not something I'd use for security measures). But depending on how you train the device to begin with, you might have higher success rates.
As far as warranty, I dont know exactly. You'd have to check with your dealer to see waht kinds of modifications would void your warranty. In the very worst case, you'd have to solder wires onto factory parts (such as door/window button panels and control panels). this would probably void the warranty for those particular parts. I am in the process of getting a Helm manual for my car right now, so I'll see if there's an easier / safer for warranty way of installing this device.

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-Fiddler
1998 Accord EX V6 Coupe (HomePage)

 

Think you could put together an illustrated step-by-step installation manual so owners can install this themselves?

 

Not yet. First off, the install would differ based upon what you want done. Second, certain things would require a very skillful "owner" .. for instance, if you want your radio controlled, you have 1 of 2 options:
Wire the VRM into the remote control or wire the VRM into the radio itself. In either case, it would require that you take apart either the remote or the radio, solder wires and connect them to the VRM. While I know a lot of people are quite capable of this, I would rather have a professional do the job. Eventually, I do wanna put up some sort of documentation on what's required, but it would change from car to car. (if you get me a helm manual for your car, i could probably offer a better description of the installation process )
If you're one of the people who is comfortable with electronics, taking apart cars and other equpment, soldering, etc, then email me and I'll be able to offer a more detailed description.

Disclaimer: I will not be held responsible for any damage, if you're doing the install yourself

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-Fiddler
1998 Accord EX V6 Coupe (HomePage)

 

Awww, come on Fiddler!!

 

I don't know about others, but personally I wouldn't want to take such an electronic undertaking without proper experience and know-how. Anyway, we can't expect Fiddler to give away his "secret formula" now can we?

 

Why only 8 channels? Can't you use a 16-bit chip?

 

8 on the "Basic" model.. it IS a 16 bit chip actually but the other 8 are used for input.
In the future, up to 32 outs will be possible. (maybe even more eventually... one step at a time tho )


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-Fiddler
1998 Accord EX V6 Coupe (HomePage)

 

that's it? no more?

 

Here's some more info from another thread:

Q: ".... i think that you should probably have it for fog lights, sunroof, and sound system so that when someone calls it automatically decreases the stereos sound. I keep my cell
right there, so for instance program it to the tune of your cell phone ringing, and then it automatically turns the music down"
-Pimpin_TL


A. There are 3 modes of operation of this device. (i prefer 1 and 2)
1: Continuous Listen: - device listens all the time until it hears a command word (like "Computer!"). After the word has been set, the device goes into command mode and listens to any of the following commands (windows up, doors close, etc) 2: User input: - same as #1 except instead of listening for the initial command word, the use presses a button to make the device start listening (higher accuracy..) .. same system is employed in the S-class benz i think. their web site says you touch a "stalk" before issuing a command.
3: Continuous Listen with 3 sections. Basically there are 3 command words that enable a bank of up to 5 commands each. so for instance instead of just saying "computer!" you could have "lights", "radio" and "car" .. after any one of them, the device goes into the corresponding bank and waits for any of the 5 subsequent commands per bank. I suppose with this mode you could set one of the command words to be your cell phone ringing, but then each other one is limited to only 5 sub-commands thereafter.
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was that confusing enough for you people?

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-Fiddler
1998 Accord EX V6 Coupe (HomePage)

 

just a thought.. make the car drive w/o a driver.. remote control, just like in the Bond movie with his remote controlled beemer.. is that possible? =) have a video camera mounted in front window and link it to a remote.. there's some more uses for those inspire cameras =)

i'll place my order now =D

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00' Acura 3.2TL Nighthawk Black Pearl
- 18's Lowenharts LGM Chrome (3 piece)
- 225/40 NT555
- Factory Kit
- Factory Spoiler
- Apexi N1 WS coilovers

 

This is probably a dumb question, but how easy is it for another person to dupe your voice and use certain features? In other words, is there an error interval for how much a voice can vary and still control the given features?

Also, what does this do to a factory warranty?

Thanks!

 

eclipse came up with similar product about 2 years or so ago, called the commander and it links up to their line of radios. the commander goes for about 300 clams.. and also
links up to another module for gps navi also. i was thinking of getting the thing but was concern about the problems of speech/voice recognition. fiddler, you can do a search for fujitsu ten eclipse...and you'll see eclipse's site...

 

Will I be able to pick up some hot asian chicks with it?