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If you have ever dreamed about a handy real-time translation device as futuristically cool as the Babel Fish in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy then look no further. The Pilot Earpiece by Waverly Labs is set to be released this autumn and promises to translate your conversations in real time. Two people speaking different languages will be able to communicate easily with each other using this nifty little device that sits snugly in the ear. Sounds too good to be true? Let’s investigate…

 

The Pilot Earpiece sounds suspiciously like a product from a science fiction story but this innovative translation gadget is actually the real deal. This clever Babel Fish-style device will be able to translate live conversations as they happen.

Prototypes were tested this week at the 4YFN start-up conference held in conjunction with the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Users reported that they were able to have accurately translated conversations with a time lag of just a few seconds.

How does the Pilot Earpiece work?

Both people need to be wearing a Pilot Earpiece in their ear for the translation to work. Simply start talking and the other person will hear your words in their own language.

So if you are talking English to a Spanish person, you speak in English and they hear you in Spanish; they speak in Spanish and you hear them in English.

Waverly Labs, said: ‘This little wearable uses translation technology to allow two people to speak different languages but still clearly understand each other.’

Languages for the Pilot Earpiece translator

You can toggle through a selection of languages on the app and select the one you need. The language options will initially include English, Spanish, French, Portuguese and Italian, with other languages set to be added shortly afterwards.

Other languages set to be launched for the app in the near future include Germanic languages, Africaans, Russian, Hindi and East Asian languages. Users will be able to buy their preferred language packs.

 

It is also possible to hold a conference call with multiple speakers, all talking in different languages.

Waverly Labs will sell the Pilot Earpiece in sets of two, so you can buy two earpieces together.

So how does it really work?

Waverly Labs have not revealed exactly how their ‘translation technology’ works from a technical stand point.

They have simply stated that the Pilot Earpiece connects to an app on your mobile phone. The earpieces can then connect using Bluetooth to enable a conversation.

This will initially need an internet connection, but future developments of the app will be able to work offline, meaning it won’t incur roaming changes while using it abroad.

So it seems safe to deduce that the mobile app does the translation work and the earpiece is simply a listening device that works like a pair of headphones. In fact, the earpieces can also be used together to listen to music wirelessly.

The Pilot Earpiece by Waverly Labs is available to pre-order for $129 (£90) through the Indiegogo crowdfunding website, though it will become more expensive once the pre-orders have sold out.

Waverly have estimated the retail price will be from $250 (£174) to $300 (£209) when launched in the shops.

 

What’s included?

The Waverly Labs Pilot translator package includes two earpieces, a portable charger, a choice of 3 eartips for the perfect fit, and the Pilot app, where you download the languages.

The Pilot Earpiece is available in black, white or red and is designed to look modern, sleek and unobtrusive in the ear.

Is it like Skype’s In-Call Translator?

Yes. The Pilot Earpiece sounds like a magical ear translator, but in actual fact the way it works makes it very similar to the current In-Call Translator feature available in Skype. The difference is that Waverly Labs Pilot Earpiece is a stand-alone app.

Google has recently added a ‘simultaneous speech mode’ to its translation tool – simply tap the mic symbol to translate. iTranslate is another translation option for travellers that works with text or speech using voice recognition software.

 

Sci-Fi fantasy 

For those who loved the idea of the Babel Fish in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy or the Universal Translator in Star Trek, the Pilot Earpiece is a sci-fi fantasy come to life!

For others of a more cynical nature, the device looks like just another app with a solid marketing team behind it – or could it even be just a gimmick that will prove to be unimpressive in reality.

For example, will the time lag prove too frustrating for easy use? Or will a user’s accent be too confusing for the translation tool?

Kent Gorman, a reporter who tested the app at the 4YFN start-up conference this week, commented: “Uncommon words like company names, slang and personal names may not translate well. I wouldn’t use the Pilot to translate a debate about chemical formulas, but I suspect that it will be fine for everyday chit chat”

We’re looking forward to seeing if Waverly Lab’s Pilot Earpiece lives up to the hype.

What do you think?

Is the Pilot Earpiece the answer to every traveller’s dreams? Will this gadget save you from ever being ‘lost in translation’ again? Will it be as useful for you as it was for Captain Kirk and Gorn?

Will you be ordering a Pilot Earpiece translator?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

 

Attributions

1. Lazlar Lyricon 3 Babel Fish by Anna-Maria Oléhn via Flickr [CC0 BY 2.0]