Skype launches its voice translation – New Technology

Skype launched on Monday a test version of voice translation in real time. Initially working the translation between English and Spanish, and only on Windows 8.1.

     Translation service analyzes the one party says and shows it as text, while the content is automatically translated and read by a mechanical voice of the other party. Photo: Skype
     

Translation Service, which was presented in May 2014 analyzes the one party says and shows it as text, while the content is automatically translated and read by a mechanical voice of the other party. The translation is also displayed as text.

Initially, the service can translate between English and Spanish, with more languages ​​to be added afterwards, and even now text messages can translate between over 40 languages, including Swedish. Anyone interested in participating in the trial version can register their interest here.

In a blog post describes Microsoft, which owns Skype, for challenges of direct translation of spoken language, and describes the service as a result of decades of research in voice recognition, automatic translation, and technologies for self-learning computers, combined with a focus on user environment.

The automatic translation is essentially statistically based. Voice Understanding, which has long been characterized by a relatively high failure rate, has been improved by the use of so-called neural networks. The technology of self-learning system allows the service improved gradually, and it is also a kind of glue that joins the analyzed spoken language with functionality.

In spoken language, which is controlled by human thoughts which any changes and associates to new ideas, developed a lot of interruption and disruption, sometimes with fillers like mmm or eehhh. The self-learning system eliminates such infilling, divides the text into sentences and adding punctuation and capitalization.

Some padding expression may remain and the system is also practiced in everyday language and slang expressions.

As training materials have been used everything from videos with subtitles to transcripts of recorded conversations. In the current service users will be informed that the call is being recorded to improve the service.