Wearable translators

One of the many areas that the Office of Naval Research supports is that of information processing. Study in this area includes neural, perceptual, and cognitive levels of organization, with an emphasis on developing devices for military operations. For example: how about a wearable language translator when on a foreign operation? No fumbling for a phrase book, no bulky laptop computer.

This mobile, lightweight device now being funded by ONR is actually a flexible, belt-style computer - no bigger than a fanny pack - allowing the speaker's language to be translated in near real time for the listener. Moreover, it wouldn't just translate word-for-word, but would be able to understand the context in which a term or idiom is used to influence the resulting translation.

It would be capable of dictionary stacking; for example, a "click" to the military is a measurement of distance, whereas to civilians it is a short sound. By having the military dictionary stacked on top of the standard dictionary, the system will be able to generate an appropriate translation for the wearer's circumstances.

Currently, software is being developed to translate Korean, Bosnian, Arabic, Thai, and Mandarin Chinese, as well as the major European languages. A body-worn translator would benefit not only the military, but also airport personnel, border patrol and customs agents, phone operators, and tourists, among others.