Most people don’t give much thought to their owner’s manual as the book usually resides in the glovebox and is rarely taken out.
However, when you need to look something up, it requires searching through the index and then flipping to a page which (hopefully) contains the information you’re looking for.
That’s less than ideal and a number of companies have been trying to improve the owner’s manual by embracing technology. The latest is Toyota, who is adding a Driver’s Companion feature to the Sienna’s Toyota app. While we’ve already seen a number of digital owner’s manuals, the Driver’s Companion is unique as it’s powered by Google Cloud and features a voice-activated virtual assistant known as Joya.
Also Read: Hyundai Launches Augmented Reality Owner’s Manual App
Designed to take the owner’s manual into the 21st century, Joya enables Sienna owners to ask natural language questions and get real-time responses thanks to artificial intelligence technology. The system uses Google’s Speech-to-Text and Text-to-Speech APIs, which give Joya a realistic voice as well as the ability to respond with the correct answers even if users ask a question in multiple different ways.
As an example, owners can ask questions such as “what’s the height of my car?” and “how does the Bird’s Eye View camera work?”. The system will then pull up the right information almost instantaneously. This should make oil changes a breeze as you’ll never have to search through an owner’s manual looking for the oil capacity again.
The Driver’s Companion goes even further as it features interactive elements that allow owners to learn more about the buttons on their dashboard as well as find specific dials. It will also help new owners setup the vehicle to their liking and learn more about driver assistance systems such as Dynamic Radar Cruise Control and Lane Departure Alert.
The experience is “completely personalized” and “curated for the driver automatically using the vehicle’s VIN number.” That’s a nice touch and it can even help owners to identify unfamiliar lights on the instrument cluster, such as a check engine light that unexpectedly pops up.
The Driver’s Companion is being launched as part of a pilot program and will be available exclusively on the 2021 Sienna. However, it looks pretty promising and hopefully will expand to other models in the future.
According to Google Cloud’s Managing Director of Manufacturing and Industrial, Dominik Wee, “Toyota Driver’s Companion highlights how cloud computing can support interactive, engaging consumer experiences in a natural, accessible format.” Wee went on the say the goal is to elevate and personalize the owner’s manual and “help foster more thoughtful interactions between Toyota and Sienna drivers, such as responding to real-time inquiries.”
