Tag Archives: Translation

Gloves That Can Translate American Sign Language Into Text or Speech

Posted on by

Innovate LINK

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uY-MyoRq4c

One of the weaknesses of the different translation apps and services is that they are for spoken languages. Sign languages are a major language that they can’t translate. That may be changing in the future after two undergraduate students at the University of Washington invented SignAloud gloves, which are designed to translate American Sign Language into speech or text. Of course, American Sign Language is not universal, and it will probably take a while to work out the many different forms of ASL alone. But like with all new technology, the first versions always evolve into better and better tools. Hopefully this will continue beyond the experimental phase.

Universal Translators are Becoming a Thing… Maybe?

Posted on by

Innovate LINK

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6SFbSD63IQ

Fans of science fiction are probably familiar with the universal translator – the futuristic device (usually not seen on screen) that allows people to all magically speak and understand English. Well, technically, people/aliens are speaking their native language and hearing other languages translated into their own language. We all knew it would only be a matter of time before this would happen in real life, and it seems that day is getting closer. Pilot is a device that fits in your ear and uses your cell phone to translate what you hear into the language you choose. Well, it’s more complicated than that, and still has many limitations, but the idea is there and should only get better in the future. Will it ever get to Star Trek levels of cancelling out the speaker’s language and replacing it with the chosen language in their natural voice, all while using holograms to make their lips look they are speaking the translatee language as well?