Automobiles and tech have come a long way together. Today, cars aren’t just driven, but they can drive themselves too. Beyond that, operating and controlling them has also become more convenient than ever. Thanks to Mercedes-Benz, which introduced the voice command feature in 1996 with its S-Class, and BMW which took things a step further with gesture control in the 7 Series in 2015, interacting with cars has become more intuitive. But have you ever wondered what would happen if voice command and gesture control were combined to make cars even smarter? Hyundai has already thought of that and has filed a patent for the same.
Just Point And Say It, Hyundai Wants Your Car To Listen
So, it’s going to feel more like a human interaction than you’re talking to a robot or some artificial assistant tool. Imagine you want to roll down your window; just point at the window and say, “Hey, roll down my window”, and your car does it. Sounds interesting, right? That’s what Hyundai’s newly filed patent is all about.
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And it doesn’t stop at a few basic controls. The system could potentially let you interact with almost every major function of the car, including infotainment systems, climate control, opening or closing the sunroof, and even door opening/closing. Well, some cars in China are already doing this, but Hyundai is taking the idea a step further by combining those gestures with voice commands.
Here’s How Hyundai’s System Decides What You’re Pointing At
As mentioned in the USPTO application 2026/0260654 A1, the system uses cameras, sensors, and microphones to determine your actions and analyze your voice. No matter whether you’re behind the wheel or sitting in the second row or even in the last row, the system would keep an eye and an ear on every passenger in real time and respond accordingly. It would be smart enough to recognize individual hand gestures, making sure your commands don’t get mixed up with someone else’s. It may also include a push-to-talk button in each row so that it only listens when you actually want it to.
When Can You Actually Use This Tech In A Hyundai?
Hyundai
Hyundai’s “point and speak” technology remains a patent concept for now. Moving ahead, turning this idea into a production-ready system would require further research, extensive testing, and integration with Hyundai’s existing ecosystem. The automaker has not stated an official timeline for when, or even if this system will make its way into production cars. Until then, the good old voice command still does the job.
