Herself’s Artificial Intelligence

It’s tough for military personnel to tell if a civilian has bad or good intentions if they don’t speak the same language.

So, as several technology companies work to improve translation software, the National Institute of Standards and Technology also is doing its part. NIST announced this week that its researchers are evaluating instant two-way translation systems for the Spoken Language Communication and Translation System for Tactical Use (Transtac) at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

Darpa and NIST are focused on bidirectional translations of English and Arabic spoken in Iraq. NIST, U.S. Marines, and Iraqi Arabic speakers just completed lab and outdoor tests on prototypes in Gaithersburg, Md. The evaluations included controlled background noise from speakers, generators, garage doors, running vehicles, and radio broadcasts to mimic noise in real-world situations.

More information:
Darpa, NIST Evaluate Military Translantion Computers
Timex2 - DARPA Transtac site