**Transformative AI Technology Simplifying Drive-Thru Orders Unveiled by IBM**

IBM has developed a groundbreaking AI-powered voice agent, Watsonx Orders, to streamline the process of taking drive-thru orders. In a bustling environment with background noise, Watsonx Orders excels at isolating and comprehending the human voice while engaging in natural conversations with customers.

**Understanding Complex Orders with Watsonx Orders**

The technology, as illustrated in the figure below, commences by greeting customers and extracting their orders by processing incoming audio. It then displays the order on the digital menu board for the customer’s confirmation before transmitting it to the point of sale and the kitchen for order fulfillment.

The process involves three key components: isolating the human voice amidst environmental noise, comprehending various aspects of speech including accents, colloquialisms, and emotional expressions, and translating the speech data into actionable customer intent.

**Overcoming Noise Challenges and Real-Time Speech Analysis**

Watsonx Orders tackles the issue of background noise through machine-learning techniques such as digital noise and echo cancellation. Moreover, it analyzes speech in real-time, converting it into phonemes rather than written text, to enhance accuracy across different accents and facilitate smoother conversations.

**Efficient Implementation and Real-World Impact**

In a real-world scenario, Watsonx Orders has demonstrated promising results by autonomously processing over 90% of orders without human intervention and successfully handling over 60 million orders in various restaurants. The technology has effectively managed high order volumes during peak times, surpassing the capabilities of human order takers and ultimately driving revenue and profit for the restaurants.

**Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)**

*Q: How efficient is Watsonx Orders at handling drive-thru orders?*
A: Watsonx Orders can autonomously process over 90% of orders during peak times and handle more than 150 cars per hour in a dual-lane restaurant.

*Q: What challenges does Watsonx Orders overcome in noisy environments?*
A: Watsonx Orders utilizes machine-learning techniques to cancel out background noise and isolate the human voice, ensuring accurate order processing in challenging environments.

*Q: How adaptable is Watsonx Orders to different restaurant setups?*
A: The platform is designed to easily integrate with new menus, restaurant technology stacks, and centralized menu management systems, making it suitable for various quick-serve restaurant chains globally.