Augmented Language Translation

The idea of a virtual HUD in the real world has been seen in many SF books and movies. Robots routinely have information overlaid on their world view and humans happily jack in to similar systems. Now NEC plans to bring something similar to the market.

The NEC Tele Scouter will augment the user’s reality with a translation of whatever’s being said nearby. No brain wiring is required – the gadget beams the translation directly at the wearer’s eye.

The TeleScouter comes in three parts. The headset contains a microphone to pick up conversation plus the Borglike eyepiece for displaying the text. This is attached to a wrist computer which communicates with a remote server to do the translation work.

Obviously for this to work as a sort of Universal Translator both people talking would need to wear one. However even used one-sided the Tele Scouter could still be useful to people learning a second language by providing translated subtitles.

The Tele Scouter with translation facility is still in development and due to be released in Japan in 2011. Initially it’ll be expensive and aimed at large corporates, but if the idea proves successful it might spread to the consumer market.

I’d buy one.