Video: Apple's Voice-Command Sorceress Siri Hacked So She Can Start Cars

By Dan Nosowitz Posted 11.28.2011 at 5:55 pm 12 Comments

Siri: Start Car Brandon Fiquett

Developer Brandon Fiquett is one of the first to hack Siri, Apple's new voice command feature that we have previously insisted is for your mom. But maybe not, given what this hack indicates is possible: Siri can be hacked to communicate with just about anything, and in this case has been persuaded to start a car with a simple voice command.

First things first: this is not a hack most people can replicate, not unless you're familiar with a few different types of coding. But it's not nearly the most complex hack we've ever seen--the early Kinect efforts were much trickier--and it's very cool. Using the Siri Proxy, created by a hacker (possibly named Pete?) going by the name @plamoni on Twitter, Fiquett managed to get his Acura to communicate with Siri. The Acura has a Viper Smart Start System, which is designed to work with smartphones--all the easier for facilitating talks with Siri.

Fiquett has a custom PHP script that runs on his home server. Some custom plugins are used to augment Siri so it can recognize and respond in specific ways to specific commands. When one of those is sensed, it sends the command to the home server, which in turn spits it out to be recognized by the Viper. At first, Siri would only recognize some terse commands, specifically worded, like "vehicle start," "vehicle disarm," and "vehicle pop trunk." Now, though, it responds to more conversationally-worded instructions--Siri's real strength--like "start my car" and "pop my trunk."

Fiquett calls this a "proof of concept," and it's definitely impressive that it works--but we're even more excited to see what comes after this. It's similar to the state of the hacked Kinect early on, with the twist that Apple is, to say the least, extraordinarily unlikely to release an SDK for Siri. But we're still really looking forward to saying "Siri! Turn on all the lights in my apartment! Now turn them off! Now on again!" and then giggling.

[Brandon Fiquett via Gizmodo]

Previous Article: Honduran Teen Invents Cheap, Simple Eye-Tracking Device For Disabled

Next Article: You Built What?! The World's Largest Videogame Controller

Want to read more articles like this, plus tips and tricks, home hacks, DIY projects, and more? Subscribe to Popular Science today, for less than $1 per issue!

12 Comments

Link to this comment

menoc

11/28/11 at 7:52 pm

If apple releases an SDK, I will become a lifelong convert . . . But I doubt it. I think it will be mostly hacking by force in any future developments. OR . . . Apple may decide to follow suit and come up with their own to control everyday devices and appliances. Would be nice if industry could come up with a standard interface for voice controlled devices. That would be cool too.

Link to this comment

Sevykeble

11/28/11 at 9:03 pm

Very satisfying to read. Ever since iPhone 4S was released I have been waiting for the moment when someone would hack Siri. And I agree with menoc. It would be truly wonderful when we can voice command everything. Great job, "Pete"!

Link to this comment

JediMindset

11/29/11 at 11:46 am

CooL!!!!

_________________
The people of the world only divide into two kinds, One sort with brains who hold no religion, The other with religion and no brain.

- Abu-al-Ala al-Marri

Link to this comment

antaro

from London, ON

11/29/11 at 12:13 pm

Cool? Yes, but how lazy can people be? All you need to do is push a button on the remote starter. What would be better is to connect the phone to your car. Oh wait, they've already done that. Now if they can locate your misplaced keys, that would be a winner.

Link to this comment

lil_mango

11/29/11 at 12:23 pm

nananana batman!

Link to this comment

JayArr

11/29/11 at 12:35 pm

I can't help but think, "MAC-Theft Auto"...lol

Link to this comment

Delkomatic

11/30/11 at 7:51 am

I can see Apple filing a lawsuit against this person for hacking their software...its just how they are...freaking crapple

Link to this comment

awesome022

11/30/11 at 9:15 pm

Gewez,that is kinda cool.I would love o hack a car.Not like I'm some kind of car jacker.I just wonder what would happen If I asked the Siri the best way to be awesomer..........................................................................................................................................

Link to this comment

quasi44

12/01/11 at 5:26 pm

We were talking about this topic years ago. Kinda surprising that it's taken this long for someone to actually do it. It's the auto theft way of the future. And just think; there will come a day when the thief just sits at home and steals em and programs the getaway route to the chopshop and gets his payoff via ebanking. Eliminating the human element from the auto theft business altogether. Then it becomes "white collar crime" and so carries no prison time even if the scumbags are stealing a million or so cars a year. It's come to a day in the U.S. where it just doesn't pay to be honest anymore. Honest just means victim now.

Link to this comment

jsbrads

12/14/11 at 6:06 pm

My friend got a 4S and i asked him what can Siri do? can she call your mom? shut off wifi? what?
"Nah," he replied, "it just does a google search for you."
and I'm thinking, I had a google app like that 3 years ago.
Hack our way into the future people

Link to this comment