A Hyundai patent application describes a way to control vehicle functions using a combination of voice commands and pointing.The system could control physical targets like windows or provide info on what you point at.
Sensors or cameras could determine which occupant is making the request and match that person’s gesture to it.
As cars get more complex, automakers continue to find new ways for us to interact with them. Some, like voice commands and virtual assistants, have proven helpful, while others—BMW and VW’s attempts at gesture control, for example—haven’t quite caught on. Hyundai and Kia have a potential solution that combines those two modes to accept voice commands that are less specific—and more pointy.
Point But Don’t Click
U.S. patent application 2026/0260654 A1, Method and Apparatus for Performing Voice Command Based on Gesture Recognition, describes a system that can combine a verbal command with what you’re pointing at to control your target. It would use cameras, other sensors, or a combination to monitor hand gestures in the cabin and decipher them when a voice command lacks necessary information like location.
USPTO
The filing also mentions that the system could determine which seat the uttered voice command came from and use that to look specifically at the hand gestures of that occupant, untangling them from any other nearby or overlapping hand movements. The system could include additional microphones and sensors for passengers in rear rows, as well as push-to-talk buttons at each seat location, but that’s less fun.
Controlling Physical Systems
These interactions could control physical vehicle systems as well as answer questions about controls. Perhaps you want to open a window—just point at it and say “open” (we’ll assume the “sesame” part is optional). Or you could touch a button—the description uses the somewhat cryptic Auto Hold as an example—and ask what its function is.
USPTO
There’s no mention of custom command names, but we can see a market for a Harry Potter command pack—lumos, nox, silencio, engorgio! Perhaps the deep-learning models baked into the system would be able to understand your meaning.
The filing notes that an application for the same technology was submitted to South Korea’s patent office last year. Like any potential patent, this doesn’t necessarily portend that a system like this will go into production. It’s simply the manufacturer’s request that a patent be granted. So you can point and shout all you want for now, but your car won’t understand.
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Ever since David was a wee Car and Driver intern, he has kept a spreadsheet listing all the vehicles he’s driven and tested. David really likes spreadsheets. He can parallel-park a school bus and once drove a Lincoln Town Car 63 mph in reverse. After taking a break from journalism to work on autonomous vehicles, he’s back writing for this and other automotive publications. When David’s not searching for the perfect used car, you can find him sampling the latest in gimmicky, limited-edition foodstuffs.