Faraday Future partners with Cerence bringing its AI-powered Tech to the FF91

Written by Cláudio Afonso | info@claudio-afonso.com | LinkedIn | Twitter

Faraday Future announced on Wednesday that selected Cerence’s AI-powered text-to-speech (TTS) technology to enable natural, human-like communication for the in-car assistant in its FF 91 ultra-luxury electric vehicle, set to start production in Q3 2022. With Cerence TTS, the FF 91’s voice assistant delivers information and responds to prompts – ranging from news and weather to point-of-interest details, navigation, parking, and fuel.

FF will also leverage Cerence Speech Signal Enhancement (SSE), a suite of AI-based sound processing technologies that remove noise from microphone inputs, to enable clear communication between drivers and the FF 91, the EV maker said.

To create natural, comfortable interaction between drivers and the FF 91, FF will leverage the most innovative TTS technology from Cerence. Cerence TTS brings a human-like quality to the in-car assistant, creating a truly conversational experience in which the car listens, understands and responds to drivers using natural speech.

“Voice interaction is central to the in-car experience in the FF 91, as we aim to make interacting with the car and the world outside as efficient and effective as possible,” said Hong Rao, vice president IAI, Faraday Future. “By leveraging text-to-speech and audio processing technologies from Cerence, the leader in voice technology for the car, we’re maximizing each interaction with efficiency, comfort, and reliability. We believe the future of human-vehicle interaction is moving towards a voice-first experience, and we’re thrilled to have Cerence as part of our global supplier network to help with our communication enhancing technology.”

In addition, Cerence SSE will integrate with FF’s voice recognition and natural language understanding engines with crystal-clear input from drivers and passengers. Cerence SSE combines advanced statistical signal processing algorithms with the latest machine learning technologies to provide superior performance with moderate CPU consumption. It is a comprehensive, hardware- and operating system-agnostic suite of sound processing technologies that significantly improve communication and recognition in noisy environments like in a moving car. By removing noise, echo and interference from a driver’s speech, Cerence SSE enables delivery of higher quality communication with the FF 91’s in-car assistant, improving driver safety, comfort, and productivity.

“Faraday Future is a true innovator, and the upcoming start-of-production of the FF 91 marks a major milestone in the next generation of electric vehicles,” said Stefan Ortmanns, CEO, Cerence. “We’re proud to be a part of the FF 91 with Cerence Text-to-Speech and Speech Signal Enhancement, two solutions that provide a high level of quality and comfort when communicating with the car, enabling drivers to maximize their safety and productivity while on the road.”

Recently, the company reported its Q1 2022 Financial results reporting total assets of approximately $706 million ($276 million of cash) and 401 preorders for the upcoming FF91 model.

Last month, the company announced its first retail store in Beverly Hills (California) selecting ASTOUND Group to implement design direction, and execute the physical experience. The retail space will be located at 464 N. Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills ahead of the FF 91 launch in Q3 2022, as previously announced.

In April, Faraday Future announced that its FF91 Model will use Brembo as a supplier to the brake technology, as the main supplier of full brake caliper assembly. Brembo will provide a specialized caliper assembly for the FF 91. This includes assembly, pistons, calipers, and pads, along with the electronic parking brake — the company said.