Problem:
Current automated speech-to-speech translation systems allow translation of spontaneous speech in very limited situations, like making hotel reservations or tourist shopping, but they cannot enable translation of large, open domains like lectures, television broadcasts, meetings or telephone conversations.
Smart Solution:
Last week Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Karlsruhe's joint International Center for Advanced Communication Technologies (InterACT) held a landmark videoconference to demonstrate several new breakthroughs in cross-lingual communications.
Computer science professor Alex Waibel, who is a faculty member at both institutions, demonstrated domain-independent, speech-to-speech translation in a lecture, which was simultaneously translated from English to Spanish to German. The new technology developed by InterACT researchers fills the above mentioned gap and makes it possible to extend such systems to other languages and lecture types.
Future Translation Technologies
Waibel also illustrated new ways of delivering speech translation services beyond traditional headsets and an audio system.
- Directed Audio Beams
One involves an array of small ultra-sound speakers that deliver a narrow beam of audio in a foreign language to a particular individual, while others nearby hear the same speech in the original language as it's spoken without disturbance.
- Transducers and Facial and mouth movement recognition
Foreign language translation also can be produced through a system that tracks and measures electrical currents on the surface of a person's cheek and throat as they mouth words instead of speaking aloud. The system takes the signal off of electrodes that recognize muscle movement, translates and delivers it as audible sound in another language.
"Thus," said Waibel, "by moving our articulators in English, we can demonstrate the generation of speech in Spanish, German or other languages. In the future, such transducers could be implanted, enabling a speaker to produce any language at will."
Researchers also demonstrated other developments, including
- delivery of speech via heads-up display and text,
- a PDA-based pocket interpreter for fieldwork such as medical relief or military operations, as well as
- simultaneous translation of videos of European Parliamentary sessions.
InterACT, is dedicated to promoting greater understanding among the world's people without removing cultural and linguistic individuality and diversity. Its researchers build speech, image and text translation technologies that help to improve communication by making the world's language barriers transparent.
Pros:
- the eventual breakdown of barriers between cultures,
- greater cross-cultural communications,
- the halt to the global domination of the English language,
- preservation of natural languages and cultures
Cons:
- The role of direct translators will likely be redefined, if not greatly reduced.
© 2005
Walter Derzko
Expert, Consultant and Guest Speaker on emerging Smart Technologies, Strategic Planning, Business Development, Lateral Creative Thinking and author of an upcoming book on the Smart Economy "
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