Google has revealed that they are developing a voice translation application for smartphones. Real time voice-to-voice translation would be the first attempt of its kind for phones. Google already provides an automatic text translation system on computers known as the Google Translate which supports 52 different languages. Google also has a voice recognition system which enables phone users to search the web or use google maps through speech. Now, Google is working on combining the google translate and its speech recognition system to develop a new voice-to-voice translation for phones. The application would recognize speech in packages and translate them to another language after interpreting the meaning of the original speech.
Although Google’s text translation works quite accurately, the speech recognition system has its flaws and Google is now working on improving it. Googles’ Head of Translation Service, Franz Och said, “We think speech-to-speech translation should be possible and work reasonably well in a few years’ time. Clearly, for it to work smoothly, you need a combination of high-accuracy machine translation and high-accuracy voice recognition, and that’s what we’re working on.” Google expects the software to be ready in a few years time. There are no details of the platforms on which the software would be made available.
However, Google is not the only company working on the real time voice to voice translations.In June 2009 Sakhr, a Gulf based company claims to have already pioneered and developed the voice to voice translations of Arabic to English and is catering the services to clients like Blackberry and iPhone, including the US Departments of Defense, Homeland Security and Justice. Below is a demo video of their software for the Blackberry:
Personally we loved the real time language translator in the Pomegranate phone although it is fictional. But this was way back in early 2008, then it had captivated us and we thought it was a lovely idea that would revolutionize the planet and help erase boundaries. Heres the video:
via [TimesOnlineUK]
this not a new thing for us but this is a new that you provide them free for poor peple like me
you have free triel?
i am verry happy but i am not use your technolge best of luck gooooooooooooooooooogle i am your familar
g
oo
g
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The iPhone app Jibbigo does a great job of real-time English-Spanish and English-Japanese speech-to-speech translation. I’ve been really impressed with how well it does.
–Dean
Although I wish Google well, I can’t help feeling that they have bitten off more than they can chew here.
I favour the non-technological solution to overrcoming language barriers, namely, wider use of Esperanto. Esperanto is tried and tested. Google’s new phone is not.