Real-Time Video Interpretering for Smartphones

CrazyPaul

CrazyPaul

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One DVTV vlogger talked about it some time ago and it already happens somewhere in Europe, I think Norway or Sweden.

The idea is a smartphone with a live interpreter on video display in the front of you and a mic/speaker on the back of it in front of a hearing person so we can communicate with each other through that anytime anywhere like at Mc Donalds, in doctor's office or talking with a police officer on a freeway. I can see that this kind of interpreter service would be a very good business as long as it'd have plenty of interpreters. The problem is who would pay for that service?

So do you think it will happen here in America someday?
 
MacFreak said:
You speak of VRI? Its old we have VRI here.
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using a smartphone on daily basis? I don't think that is old news. Maybe with standalone units then its old news like you are thinking.
 
MacFreak said:
You speak of VRI? Its old we have VRI here.
Click to expand...

No, I am talking about smartphones. I am not talking about wireless VRS calls, either. Have you watched Wes's old vlog about it at DVTV? For example, we have auto voice translation which translates voice into texts on smartphones but why not using an interpreter instead of texts since many deaf people hate to read texts. Same with TTYs, many of them hate to type and read so they use VP/VRS instead. They prefer ASL than texts.

VRI is for corporations and hospitals, not for residents. I don't know about police stations, IRS and courts. BTW, my workplace, USPS finally has one (other locations already got it two years ago) and my hospital, Kaiser doesn't have it yet.
 
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That would be a cool technology. Sadly, it's not accurate with voice to text or to sign language as of now. They are still working on it because of the complex accents in humans. I think captioning and virtual interpreting would happen someday when it's more accurate. I don't think they will use real interpreters. I think it's more likely virtual interpreter that can sign to what hearing people are saying. Same thing with captions that do exist on Youtube but it's not accurate but getting there.

You don't have to worry about who is paying for the interpreters when there are virtual ones that do the job for free. The only thing they charge is the software as a one time fee.

The smartphones will soon be powerful enough to have virtual detail of a interpreter with different styles and fluid animation with realistic skins and all. Right now, it's not powerful enough to do that kind of detail.
 
sequoias said:
That would be a cool technology. Sadly, it's not accurate with voice to text or to sign language as of now. They are still working on it because of the complex accents in humans. I think captioning and virtual interpreting would happen someday when it's more accurate. I don't think they will use real interpreters. I think it's more likely virtual interpreter that can sign to what hearing people are saying. Same thing with captions that do exist on Youtube but it's not accurate but getting there.

You don't have to worry about who is paying for the interpreters when there are virtual ones that do the job for free. The only thing they charge is the software as a one time fee.

The smartphones will soon be powerful enough to have virtual detail of a interpreter with different styles and fluid animation with realistic skins and all. Right now, it's not powerful enough to do that kind of detail.
Click to expand...

Whoa, wait a minute. How can a virtual interpreter read your ASL? That would be very tough. A real interpreter can do the job as long as your smartphone has a camera in the front of you (Sorry for forgetting to mention that in my original post).

What's more, it's already happening in other country or countries. I heard Japan has it, too but I am not sure. If it's true, I will try to find out how it works like who pays for the interpreting service.
 
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