IBM A.I. MEETS HARMAN SYSTEMS

IBM’s Watson artificial intelligence technology has been paired with Harman’s AKG Microphones, JBL speakers and AMX AV control and switching systems to form the new Voice-Enabled Cognitive Rooms. It lets consumers simply ask questions or issue commands with their voice when in a room. These requests are then sent to the Watson cloud and Watson IoT services, which work with Harman’s technology to allow people to easily control their in-room subsystems without having to physically perform any manual tasks and trying to figure the new systems out. For example, now when an employee enters a conference room they can start a video conference, launch a presentation and more using their voice. In the future, these tasks will be executed automatically based on what the system has learned about the employee based on previous meetings. The system gets smarter about the person and their preferences over time.

These capabilities are already being used at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital where patients can interact with in-room speakers that are connected to the IBM Watson IoT Platform. As a result, they can operate lights and window blinds without any manual assistance while asking questions about the hospital facilities or requesting background information on their physician all via natural language.

“We’re solving a very distinct problem in hotel, hospital and conference rooms, where people experience unfamiliar environments yet need to perform very simple tasks, such as changing room temperature, adjusting the lighting, opening the blinds, initiating conference calls or launching a presentation,” said Kevin Morrison, Senior Vice President of Enterprise Solutions for Harman Professional Solutions. “Voice-Enabled Cognitive Rooms by Harman make for a natural and intuitive experience, especially for weary travellers or patients with special needs.”

Harman: www.harman.com