Groundbreaking gadget claims to fit in your ear and translate foreign languages in real-time

Waverly Labs
It's like Babel Fish in Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy Credit: Waverly Labs

Trying to understand someone who doesn't speak your language could be a thing of the past, thanks to this new piece of technology.

Pilot earphones act like much like Babel Fish in 'Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy' - they let two people who speak a different language understand each other.

The gadget will launch to translate between English, French, Spanish and Italian in Autumn of this year.

Babel Fish
Babel Fish Credit: BBC

Pilot will cost $129 (£90) ​and will be available for pre-order on their website

It works by being connected to two different people, speaking two different languages, and translates what they are saying in your ear.

Pilot is supposedly the first 'smart earpiece' capable of translating between two languages.

Waverly Labs, who have developed the technology, said on their website: "This little wearable uses translation technology to allow two people to speak different languages but still clearly understand each other".

They have not said how it works except for that it uses "translation technology" embedded in an app. We have reached out to them to find out more.

The first generation of the device only works between two people wearing the earpieces.

However, they hope to make one which translates everything happening around you in a foreign country.

Waverly Labs, a New York-based company, said one of their technicians came up with the idea after "meeting a French girl" and wanting to communicate with her.

The company is going to launch a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo, where people who want to be the first to try this new technology can pre-order the Pilot for between $129 (£90) and $179 (£125) - whereas it's expected to retail for between $250 (£174) and $300 (£209).

Waverly Labs
Credit: Waverly Labs

Pilot earpieces are to come in three colours and will be able to be pre-ordered from the 25th May.

Other companies are heading towards real-time translation.

The Google Translate app can translate what you are saying to your phone from one language to another in real-time.

In addition, Skype can now translate between callers who are speaking different languages, and currently caters for seven.

The chief envisioning officer of Microsoft UK has also claimed that in the next five years, we will be able to translate one another from any language to any language with just a smart phone between us. 

 

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