Quote :

"An increasingly globalized world became even smaller on Thursday when Carnegie Mellon University and German scientists unveiled technology that makes it possible to speak one language, yet be understood in another. Although this speech translation system is probably a decade away from commercial availability, it has the potential to topple the Tower of Babel by bridging the language divide between countries and cultures, said CMU computer science professor Alex Waibel, who directs the International Center for Advanced Communication Technologies, or interACT. "This is a bit science fiction, but it's clearly a vision we think is very exciting," Waibel said as he demonstrated a prototype of the translator during a videoconference viewed on the CMU campus in Oakland and at the University of Karlsruhe in Germany. Launched in 2004, interACT is a multimillion-dollar joint effort between the schools to develop advanced communication technologies. CMU computer science graduate student Stan Jou, 34, of Shadyside, stood before the audience yesterday morning with 11 tiny electrodes affixed to the muscles of his cheeks, neck and throat. The Taiwan native then mouthed -- without speaking aloud -- the following phrase in Mandarin Chinese: "Let me introduce our new prototype." The sensors captured electrical signals from Jou's facial muscles when they moved to form the silent Chinese words. In a matter of seconds, this information traveled to a computer that recognized the words and translated them into English and Spanish. The phrase was then displayed on a screen and spoken by the computer in both languages. "

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/trib/regional/s_388625.html

10/31/2005 1:52:01 PM

Finally, I can understand the Klingon trekkies.

10/31/2005 1:55:04 PM

who doesn't speak klingon?

10/31/2005 1:55:42 PM

nA-tak che!

10/31/2005 2:11:30 PM

This doesn't seem all that amazing to me.

They are just doing what voice recognition systems have been doing (but with lower accuracy than traditional voice recognition, it seems), but instead of listening to the sound of your voice, it listens to the electrical impulses in your muscles.

It's good though that they are finally coming out with some practical applications of "hypersound" other than advertising.

10/31/2005 2:14:32 PM

voice recognition + text translation + text-to-speech = a combination of technologies so obvious and yet so obviously hopeless... that you are just now hearing about its lack of promise

no news here

10/31/2005 2:34:04 PM

Before the Xbox came out, 2 of my friends swore that Xbox live would translate your voice to other languages, with your own intonations, for players that are in other countries that don't speak English. I told them that was ridiculous, that the Xbox wouldn't be able to do that and play games.

10/31/2005 2:58:58 PM

babel fish

10/31/2005 3:17:12 PM

Quote :

"...it has the potential to topple the Tower of Babel..."

Someone needs to reread their Bible.

10/31/2005 5:19:38 PM

i read that as the old babelfish service - but could be wrong

10/31/2005 5:40:53 PM