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The Pilot speech translation app from New York-based Waverly Labs is already available and works with five spoken languages (English, French, Italian, Portugese and Spanish) and seven additional written languages (German, Hindi, Russian, Japanese, Arabic, Korean and Mandarin Chinese). Available by late summer 2017, the Pilot smart earpiece will increase the ease with which people speaking different languages can communicate. In near-to-real-time, the Pilot earpiece connects to the app via Bluetooth and a translated version of the speech is returned to the second earpiece.

Each speaker in a conversation wears an earpiece or uses the app on speakerphone. The lag between speech and translation is currently a few seconds, and the Waverly Labs team is working to reduce that. The app uses machine learning and so should improve its translation abilities over time. The five spoken languages that are currently available on the app are free with each set of earpieces, and by Autumn 2017, an additional 10 languages will be available to buy. The early bird price for the earpieces is currently USD 249.

Globalization means everyone is more connected than ever, and quality communication is important everywhere. For refugees, this social translation app helps them find out more about their new neighborhood. And for tourists in Japan, a new smart, connected megaphone helps them navigate large events and travel spaces by translating public information into a variety of languages. What other aspects of international travel could use improved translation for a better experience?