Mercedes Benz and will.i.am unveil futuristic technology that turns your car into a musical instrument

There’s nothing quite like the experience of driving down the highway in your car with the speakers blaring your favorite songs.

But often the music doesn’t match the moments of the drive – whether it’s the chorus that starts when you press the accelerator or the steady beats that break the monotony of the highway.

Now a solution has come from an unlikely source: will.i.am, the entrepreneur and musician best known as the founder of the Black Eyed Peas.

He’s working with German automaker Mercedes Benz on futuristic in-car software called Sound Drive that “turns your car into a musical instrument.”

When the driver accelerates, brakes or turns, the software responds to create new sounds or remix existing melodies, making the driver ‘the conductor’ and the car ‘the orchestra’.

The musician – also known in Great Britain for performances in the ITV program The Voice – presented his technology this week at CES 2024, the electronics trade show in Las Vegas.

“Imagine a world where your car can become an instrument that creates musical journeys,” he said.

‘Sound Drive improves driving and sound technology, allowing drivers to reshape music just by driving.

“Sound Drive not only sets a new frontier for music creation, but also opens up new, exciting and interactive listening experiences for drivers.”

Although Sound Drive won’t hit the market until mid-2024, it will be available on the infotainment system of several Mercedes Benz electric vehicles.

It uses a range of sensors in the car, including in the engine, to change the music on the sound system when it detects different ‘driving dynamics’.

These are movements – such as accelerating, steering and braking – and are converted into ‘musical expressions’, allowing the driver to become the DJ in real time, claims Mercedes Benz.

According to will.i.am, Sound Drive can both “create new works” and “reimagine classics” for drivers to drive to.

So it not only creates fresh sounds to make new music that is ‘conducted by the road’, but also remixes existing songs – for example ‘I’ve Got A Feeling’ by Black Eyed Peas – by making them react. driving.

Different driving dynamics affect the song in different ways; For example, the more the driver presses the accelerator, the louder the song becomes.

The technology can also synchronize with other ‘signals’ in the car, according to Mercedes Benz.

An example of this is the rain sensors on the windscreen that provide ‘calming rhythms’ during bad weather to reduce stress and improve concentration.

TechCrunchwho tested the system at CES 2024 described it as having two foot pedals and a steering wheel instead of two turntables and a microphone.

Naturally, there will be safety risks arising from such technology, which could leave drivers more preoccupied with music than with their surroundings.

MailOnline has contacted Mercedes-Benz for comment.

Musicians have long drawn inspiration from their cars and the experience of driving to create new music, although will.i.am has taken this to a new level with Sound Drive.

For example, the basis for the 1975 Bee Gees hit “Jive Talking” was the sound the band’s car made as it crossed the Julia Tuttle Causeway in Florida.

Meanwhile, German group Kraftwerk used synthesizers to recreate the experience of driving down the highway on their 1974 album ‘Autobahn’.

On their fifth album, Arctic Monkeys also manipulated the drums to achieve a hip-hop style beat that sounded particularly satisfying in a car.

Mercedes Benz said Sound Drive’s long-term goal is to turn the technology into an open music platform, allowing artists to compose while they drive.