We're teaching computers how to understand humans

Skip to Content

Human-machine interaction

Assistance with support services, foreign languages and maintenance

Article: We're teaching computers how to understand humans

Cross-device smart systems based on innovative interaction: we develop applications that respond on demand and assistance systems that communicate with us in natural language.

Today, we still predominantly interact with machines and computers in the way that is easiest for them: using a keyboard, mouse or touch operation. Together with our partners in the DB Group and beyond, we are working on solutions for the human-machine interaction of tomorrow. By exploiting new forms of interaction and focusing on the best possible user experience, we are training machines to behave like people.

How HMI solutions are created

HMI (human-machine interaction/interface) solutions comprise various individual services that are configured, combined and controlled differently depending on the use case. They include, for example, language processing in combination with artificial intelligence (conversational AI & Generative AI – a type of AI that can converse naturally with humans). Typically, a variety of services and platforms, to which further services are added, are available for HMI solutions.

“Our language is the most natural way of communicating and interacting, but it is also highly complex. Technological progress in recent years has enabled us to use this simple form of communication for us humans to interact with machines.”

Jannik Oberlies, Technology Community Lead HMI, DB Systel

Profile picture Jannik Oberlies

New forms of interaction for rail passengers and personnel

Technologies such as conversational AI, generative AI, 3D animation and VR/AR are now mature enough to understand language and use it to interact with machines. In this way, we support colleagues in the implementation of their diverse tasks and work processes, e.g. in maintenance and rail operations, as well as passengers inpassenger transport in the planning and execution of their journey or in consulting. This reduces the barriers to using IT systems and makes DB's mobility offerings and services more accessible.

Practical use cases for the railway:

Reducing language barriers in customer service


With increasing numbers of international passengers, our advisors in the travel centers are facing ever greater linguistic challenges. The KITT translation app allows our passengers and employees to communicate in their native language, which is automatically translated in real time.

Automating telephone bookings for on-demand services

With the Voicebot from DB Regio Bus and DB Systel, passengers can book their journey on an on-demand bus automatically by telephone. This relieves the telephone switchboard and guarantees optimum accessibility of on-demand services for passengers, especially in rural areas.

Simplify documentation in maintenance

Maintenance employees work every day to check our vehicles for damage and wear. The results of the findings can be documented directly by voice via wearable hardware so that our employees can carry out their work hands-free. Spoken findings are immediately transcribed, understood and stored in the necessary systems.

Interested in automated support requests, integrated voice assistance for information systems or optimised interactions in cross-device use cases? Contact us for advice, solutions and examples showing how people and machines can work better together.