Trying to understand someone who doesn’t speak your language can be an arduous task, if not downright awkward. Sure you can lug around a language handbook. Sure you can try to memorize a bunch of foreign words. But, navigating through language barrier abroad – and, indeed, here – has never been a walk in the park. Things, however, are looking up as some ingenious companies have made a foray into this upcoming niche.
Today, I am going to present to you a nifty in-ear device that promises to make translating foreign languages in real-time effortlessly easy. Meet Pilot, an ingenious product by New York’s startup Waverly Labs.
Waverly Labs’ Pilot Earpiece – Is That Babel-fish in Your Ear?
Believe or not, this nifty device enables people to communicate in entirely different languages. Incredible, right? Dubbed a real-world babel-fish, this smart in-ear gadget translates live speech on the fly. Both participants need to be wearing the devices, though. The good news is that Waverly Labs sells this gadget in pairs. Although the maker has remained tight-lipped about the technology behind the gadget, it connects to an app on your smartphone which works both off and online.
The pilot is perhaps the only promising device that packs enough punch to take on Microsoft’s Skype Translator. Though the device hasn’t actually hit the market, tech reviews are giving it an outright thumbs up, a thing we haven’t seen recently. As with any product in its infancy stage, Pilot is still a misery to most people.
#1. Is Pilot Real?
That is a resounding yes. Video released by Waverly Labs features a couple engaged in a thrilling conversation. It shows a wireless in-ear device that seems to be translating French to English and vice versa in real-time.
#2. Does Pilot Work?
Andrew Ochoa has made it clear in his press releases that his team is working on a hybrid device that’s poised to change foreign language translation as we know it. Though he didn’t mention much about the device, you could read the excitement in his tone. So, people, Pilot is bound to hit the market soon.
#3. Who is Andrew Ochoa?
Andrew Ochoa is the brain behind Waverly Labs. His blog title says he is an “autodidact” and a “sojourner.”
#4. Will it out-translator Skype Translator?
Unfortunately, Ochoa doesn’t seem to think so. At least for the moment.
#5. Is Pilot built yet?
Images of design prototypes are already out there. Also, its translation platform seems to be at its late “alpha” stage.
Article by Jeditronix Contributor: Michael Fordam
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