2011 Audi A8 Features Handwriting Recognition

It seems like just yesterday that automotive manufacturers introduced multi-media user interfaces (MMI) into their vehicles. The first to take the plunge in a big way was BMW with their iDrive system, which was much maligned at the time, but has made steady improvements.  Nearly a decade later, it seems like every vehicle on the market offers some type of MMI. The systems have evolved to the point that Audi recently announced that the MMI in the 2011 Audi A8 will feature handwriting recognition. A nice feature, I suppose, but one that fails to stir up any excitement when you consider what your $300 iPhone can do.

There are myriad reasons why auto manufacturers are slow out of the gates when introducing this type of technology. Excuses abound about production lead times, safety, and proprietary systems, but one has to wonder when a manufacturer will put some of the burden of innovation on the shoulders of the consumer?  We are seeing an explosion of user-generated content and software applications, as evidenced most clearly by the growth of mobile app stores and Google’s open-source mobile platform (the former being a nice example of a regulated environment that still encourages participation).

Consumers will undoubtedly have more ownership over MMIs in the future, but for an industry that has championed speed for so long, one has to wonder why they are slow with software innovation?

[via Engadget]