Translation Earpods

By Jasmine Kosovrasti
EDT 180
Peer Survey/Poll

● Please raise your hand if you’ve ever

been in a situation where you couldn’t
communicate with someone because they
were speaking a different language?

● Please raise your hand if you would have

used a product that allows for easy
verbal translation in real time?

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Background Information and What Problem It Solves?

● As transportation evolves
● Global vacations and migration
because easier
● Google Translate and other
translators made in past
● Solves both language barriers and
the struggle to learn new
language and keep it up through
practicing

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Important Facts

● 75% of Americans have no

second language

● Yet 43% of Americans believe

it’s important to learn as
many languages as possible

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What Are Translation Earpods?

● Looks like normal pair of

earpods that can be used
to play music from your
phone
● Allows conversation
between two people who
speak different languages

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Why It’s Innovative and Important to Know About?

● Makes learning new languages

obsolete
● Connected to phone through app
● Download app and select your “source
language” and “target language”
● When ready to begin either press
microphone or type into it
● People speak into phone, and words
are translated and fed into the
translation earpods
● Important because could change the
way we treat languages forever

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How Do They Translate in Real-Time?
Language Automatic Natural
Speech
Input Conditioning Identificatio Speech Language
Synthesis
n Recognition Processing

Translator earbuds LID system identifies ASR converts recorded Here, machine The strings of translated
pick up background spoken language(s) in words heard, translation is words are combined to
noise, which is filtered seconds. This system disassembles them into performed. The very
is important, especially form a naturally spoken
through the process of meaning of the target
strings of phonemes, translation of the input
denoising. Voice since languages from language
converts them into the language sentence. In
activity detector (VAD) the same language word/sentence/phrase
family can sound so target language. ASR not older translating devices
activates the system is translated here, with
which makes similar they are only fills the conversation short recordings of
all shades of meaning
translation earpods impossible to gaps, but it also corrects and other complexities people properly
possible only when differentiate from one the wrongly recognized taken into pronouncing phonemes
you speak and not another. phonemes, taking into consideration. and words were
random passer-bys. consideration grammar, collected, and an entire
context, probability, and target language
pronunciation dictionary. sentence was formed
from them.

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 Options Strengths and Weaknesses

Product Strengths Weaknesses Picture

Waverly Labs has real time less languages(15)

translation, app is
Pilot Smart
free and regular
Earbuds use for music and
videos

WT2 Plus designed for dual has less

use between two languages(20
people, app is free
and real time
translation

Google Pixel more languages(40) hold buds in ear

and speak to them,
Buds
but app is costly

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more languages(40) both speakers need
How Could This Technology Evolve?

● Could take over, causing

language classes and
translators to become
obsolete
● Result in death of
languages
● Half the world's 7,000
languages are expected to
be extinct by the end of
this century

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Let’s Take a Closer Look at What This Product Can Do

WT2 Plus Commercial

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Kahoot

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 References

Jones, Mark. “What to Look for the Translating Earbuds?” Arkartech, https://www.arkartech.net/blogs/blog/language-translating-earbuds-you-got-it-right.

Hartmans, Avery. “These Sleek $250 Earbuds Can Translate Languages in Real Time - and It's like Something out of 'Star Trek'.” Business Insider, Business
Insider, 9 Mar. 2018, https://www.businessinsider.com/waverly-labs-pilot-earbuds-translate-languages-in-real-time-2018-3.

COOLMANIAshop. “Best Voice Translator WT2 Plus - via Bluetooth Headphones.” YouTube, YouTube, 5 Jan. 2019,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvgpEix7ZFw.

“This Wearable AI Translator Lets You Talk in Different Languages.” Geek.com, 8 Jan. 2019, https://www.geek.com/tech/this-wearable-ai-translator-lets-you-talk-
in-different-languages-1768955/.

Palmer, Kate. “75% Of Americans Have No Second Language.” YouGov, YouGov, 31 July 2013, https://today.yougov.com/topics/lifestyle/articles-
reports/2013/07/31/75-americans-have-no-second-language.

Aulakh, Raveena. “Dying Languages: Scientists Fret as One Disappears Every 14 Days.” Thestar.com, 15 Apr. 2013,
https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2013/04/15/dying_languages_scientists_fret_as_one_disappears_every_14_days.html.

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Thank you for your interest and
attention!

My email:
jkosovra@asu.edu

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