When Rockwell Collins introduced the Pro Line 21 integrated avionics system in 1996, the company proclaimed voice recognition would play a significant role in the avionics’ so-called man-machine interface. More than 10 years later the use of voice recognition in civil aviation has yet to emerge as a viable technology, but that could be about to change with the introduction of Pro Line Fusion.
Collins engineers are exploring a variety of uses for voice recognition, from moving the cursor to a particular window on a display to instructing the cursor to highlight a flight-plan leg and then execute a change. “Voice recognition holds a lot of promise,” said David Wu, director of flight deck systems marketing for Rockwell Collins. “The possibilities are pretty limitless, but we have to be careful that we first build up sufficient credibility with the regulatory agencies before we move into complex functions such as flight planning.”
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