[Courtesy of LG Electronics]
LG Electronics said in a statement on Friday that the company has added a voice command feature to its ThinQ mobile app specially designed to control smart home appliances using Google's artificial intelligence (AI) voice recognition technology. The company said the upgraded app will be available in September, North America in the fourth quarter and Europe next year.
"Creating a smart home experience that actually makes our customers' lives measurably more convenient is what drives us daily," Alice Ryu, head of LG's smart home business was quoted as saying. "With the voice-capable mobile app, we have created the ultimate smart home ecosystem that puts convenience first."
In an effort to strengthen its presence in the global home appliance market, LG launched "ThinQ", an AI-based smart electronics brand, in December 2017. LG's AI technology is widely installed in smart home appliances and devices for connectivity.
With LG's upgraded app which provides real-time status updates, consumers can control WiFi-based smart home appliances with voice commands. Google's AI will provide tips on how to use appliances effectively. The app ensures easy connection to appliances "from anywhere at any time," LG said, adding users would enjoy the "incredible ease" of controlling and monitoring appliances.
For example, users can verbally ask the app to check the time remaining on the washer machine cycle from the office or adjust the temperature of air conditioners while driving home without having to stop what they're doing to look at their phones, LG said.
LG said that the app provides helpful information on product features and functions, alerts users with suggestions for maintenance and troubleshooting problems, and offers answers for common questions related to product usage.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
