Wearable devices are smart electronic devices that can be worn on the body as implant or accessories. The designs often incorporate practical functions and features. They are ‘Internet of Things’, and ‘ things ‘ could include electronics, software, and sensors.

Wearable devices are becoming more and more popular. In 2013, Google published Google Glass that could display information in a smartphone-like hands-free format. Looking into Google Glass functions, it could realize checking weathers, timeline and news and other things simply through touching the pad.

But, all these functions could be realized by smartphones! Still, more and more wearable technology gadgets pop out, such as wearable watches and wearable clothing. Why? It makes life much more convenient in this fast-changing world.

So, today we will talk about whether wearable translators would become a hot trend. Below are three representatives translators: ILI, PILOT, and HAIYU. That’s the comparison between online and offline, earpiece and handheld.

ILI Translator

In 2017, one offline portable translator called ILI stuns people and became a smash hit. But, looking into its function, it’s just a simple gadget that could one-way translate into the other language. It catches people’s need to communicate when traveling overseas meanwhile they may face expensive overseas data roaming charges or fiddling with foreign SIMs.

advantages & disadvantages

advantages:

offline

portable

easy to use by pushing one button, more conversation-like.

disadvantages:

can’t be used if the surroundings are noisy. Here’s a test video on youtube.

Mainly travel phrases，ili is travel-focused dining, shopping, finding transportation, and much more.

only supports one-way conversation. You can get your words understood but you can understand what others say. It’s not communication.

One device for only two languages, the cost would be high if traveling to many countries.

Offline no machine learning, the translation accuracy won’t change as the times of using increase. The stock of words can’t keep updated.

Pilot Translating Earpiece

Pilot got 20,000 backers in the Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign. How it works: one puts on a piece of Pilot and speak, the voice translation would instantly come out of the other earpiece. Pilot uses Bluetooth technique to connect earpiece with phone translation app. This is really convenient and attractive. Friends of different languages could just sit down and talk as if in one language.

advantages & disadvantages

advantages:

conversation with privacy. the conversation is just heard by the users so it could keep privacy

works well even in noisy environment. It’s said that the Pilot earpiece filters out ambient noise from the speech of someone talking.

disadvantages:

skin-sensitive. It can’t be used by many people or even the strangers because people are skin-sensitive. This is extremely inconvenient if you want to ask strangers questions during travelers.

The conversation can’t be shared in a gathering. If there are one group of people speaking one language and the other group speaking the other language, only the ones who wear the earpiece could communicate. It loses function for as most people love parties and other group activity. Communication barrier would stop people from engaging. And the cost for all to wear earpiece are far more expensive.

It’s a handheld smartphone gadget that could realize instant voice translation and language switch by just pushing buttons.

advantages & disadvantages

advantages:

very convenient to use. Without bothering friends or passers-by, you just need to push the button to get your speech translated and push the other to get your partner’s speech translated.

with online app adopting the latest Neural Machine Translation. The company even test its voice recognition and translation accuracy with Google Translate and Microsoft Translate here.

machine learning. the translation accuracy would be improved as the times of using increase because Haiyu translator would adapt to the speaker’s accent and way of talking.

high recognition of voice even in noisy surroundings. here’s a test video filmed where nearby people are building houses.

multi-functional. It can be a music speaker, free call control, note-taking and etc.

good at long sentence translation

disadvantage:

can’t work without the Internet. The company wants to update the latest words and idiom translation. And if you search Google you could find voice recognition & translation works poorly for Google Translate offline.

Ili, Pilot and Haiyu differences summary

My translation app could do that, why wearables?

I guess many people would ask that. Honestly, now our smartphones are strong and powerful enough to realize many functions that wearable devices are capable of. However, if we look into markets, wearables are flourishing like never before. When Google Home comes out, people are getting crazy about it. Take ILI as an example, it has sold out of stock in very short time.

Wearable translators would make it much easier, more natural and convenient when communicating with foreign people. it’s just like you can see time on your phone but you still would want a watch, your phone can play music but you still need an earpiece. People are pursuing a much higher quality of living and convenience surely is a big deciding factor. As investigated, there are 21 million more international tourists in the first half of 2015. The amount of oversea travels is increasing and so do their need for a better communication experience. In a word, the wearable translators would get hot in the near future.