As cars become increasingly connected, automakers have been looking for more ways for drivers to control their vehicle systems. Some have been opting for handwriting recognition technology that allows consumers to direct infotainment features with the touch of a finger, Edmunds.com reported.

Introduced on personal digital assistants in the 1990s, the technology has been evolving ever since and has gradually made its way into the auto industry.

Audi debuted such technology early, showcasing handwriting recognition at the 2005 Tokyo Auto Show with the Shooting Brake Concept. The German carmaker later used the functionality on the 2011 A8 and A6 luxury sedans and most recently implemented handwriting recognition into the Multimedia Interface system used in the 2015 A3 sedan and 2015 TT coupe.

The technology seems to be useful for reducing distractions while driving even as more cars become connected and feature touchscreens, music streaming, navigation and more.

"Characters entered using the handwriting function can also be read aloud by the system, thus supporting blind operation," Mercedes-Benz said in a statement quoted by Edmunds. "The acoustic output also ensures that the driver does not need to take their eyes off the road, keeping distraction to an absolute minimum."

The automaker implemented handwriting recognition technology into the 2014 S-Class and will also use it in next year's C-Class lineup.

BMW has also added the function to its 2013 7 Series and 5 Series cars.

Developed from the early PDA devices, handwriting recognition has become much more precise, according to supplier Paragon Software Group. The newest version, which launched last month, can recognize printing or cursive, support 42 languages and adapt to each user's preferences.

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