A Star Trek-style universal translator may sound like the stuff of science fiction, but Microsoft is developing a new type of software that can convert your words into another language while preserving the sound of your voice. Here, a quick look at the futuristic new technology that could revolutionize the way we travel:
How does it work?
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Does the artificial voice sound authentic?
The creator of the software, Frank Soong, gave a live demonstration at a conference earlier this year. (Listen to it here at around the 17 minute mark.) In the soundbite, he had Microsoft's chief research officer, Rick Rashid, say a long sentence in English, and the software translated his words into Spanish, Italian, and Mandarin. You can hear how the sound of his voice becomes digitized, says Anthony, "but overall it's remarkable how the three translations still sound just like Rashid."
How useful will this really be in daily life?
One day this technology could make it onto smartphones (Windows 8, anyone?), making it easier for travelers to cope in foreign countries. "The number of times I've massacred another language in an attempt to simply get a pint a beer makes me shudder," says Sam Gibbs at Gizmodo U.K. "Turn this into a phone app and you'll have an instant communicator." The software could also be huge for businesses, says Eileen Brown at ZDNet, which "could have the opportunity to break into new markets around the globe without the overhead of human based translation services."
Sources: DVice, ExtremeTech, Gizmodo U.K., ZDNet
