Next-gen Audi MMI could feature handwriting recognition

When new cars and old tech collide...

(Credit: Autobild.de/Audi)

Audi's next-generation MultiMedia Interface (MMI) could feature handwriting recognition. You read that right, handwriting recognition. Not advanced voice command. Not some science-fiction extrasensory perception interface, but plain old 20th century handwriting recognition. I thought these cabin tech interfaces were supposed to be getting less complex.

According to German car blog Autobild, the new MMI should debut at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt on the new Audi A8. The handwriting-recognition portion, poorly Google translated as "Finger Ready," will feature a character input square where drivers will finger-paint letters on the screen a la first-generation Palm OS Graffiti, which to be honest is still probably much faster than the current MMI's rotary-dial-based input method.

We've already had a look at the first wave of MMI upgrades, which feature a relocated MMI controller and a much-improved interface. Audi has not officially announced the handwriting system as part of its MMI roadmap, but September and the Frankfurt auto show are just around the corner.