Application of speech recognition technology to ITS advanced traveler information systems

Speech recognition technology has potential for application to intelligent transportation systems (ITS) in the area of advanced traveler information systems (ATIS). ATIS areas which can greatly benefit from speech recognition are: pre-trip traffic information; en-route traffic information; route guidance; ride matching and reservation; transit information services; and traffic and transit management control centers. This paper concentrates on telephony applications of speech recognition to two ATIS applications, real-time traffic information and public transit information. We first discuss the general considerations involved in development of a multiline speech interface to a traffic or transit database, including system architecture and sizing, and the development of dialogs and grammars which are user friendly and efficient. We then discuss two prototype applications of this technology using BBN's HARK speaker-independent speech recognition product. The first is to SmartRoute System's SmarTraveler traveler information system, which was an FHWA Operational Test, and the second to Montgomery County Maryland's public transit system. These were small scale tests to help us develop the technology required for full-scale implementations, but showed that the speech interface was practical, and provided much improved ease of use and performance over conventional touch tone based interactive voice response (IVR) systems.