New In-Ear Device Translates Foreign Languages In Real Time; Is This The Greatest Invention Ever?

The Universal translator has been a Science Fiction standard for decades now but for us mere mortals, trying to communicate in a foreign language still involves a lot of wild gesticulating and frequent consultation of phrasebooks. Thanks to the wizardry of modern technology however, those days will soon be behind us. Enter – The pilot system.

This in-ear device created by Waverly Labs will allow the wearer to receive translations of multiple languages that will be transmitted in real time to the headset. The earpiece connects with the handy smartphone app that will control all the basic settings and language options.

While this may seem like the invention of the century there are still some flaws in the plan, proper functioning of the device relies on the coordination of multiple systems. The microphone on the in-ear device requires a clear signal from the phone app, which in turn needs a reliable signal to access online translation software, which then needs to convert speech to text and translate. Then the whole process needs to be reversed and beamed back to the earpiece in the desired language. Long story short, there’s a lot that could go wrong and even if it functions flawlessly, there’s a good chance it will take a while. So when they say ‘real time translation’ it actually means ‘sort-of-delayed-but-close-enough time translation’.
Although this will inevitably lead to some very delay-ridden conversations there is an alternative that may actually solve this problem. The app by Waverly Labs is set to launch this summer in the United States, months before the headsets themselves. The phone can be placed between the two users and will translate the conversation out loud which would then allow everyone to be on the same page. You’re probably thinking ‘well that sounds good, why don’t they just stick with that?’ But of course in the highly competitive tech world, nothing is ever that simple. Google Translate and Microsoft’s Skype Translator are both working on similar software for both phone and desktop application. The Pilot System aims to be the first wearable device in its genre.
This futuristic invention will soon be available to the public as pre-orders are set to start on May 25 and will start shipping later in the year. The product includes two earpieces, a charger and access to the app for where you can download language packs as per your requirement. In spite of its failings there is absolutely no denying that The Pilot system will revolutionise human interactions and will simplify the lives of travel-lovers across the world. Here’s to a multilingual future!