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        Device Profile: VoxTec's Phraselator

        jill | Date: Oct 7, 2002 | Comments: 1


        The VoxTec Phraselator is a ruggedized PDA that is a one-way phrase-based voice-to-voice machine translator. A phrase is matched with a prerecorded output phrase and played through a speaker. Users can provide information, give orders or directions, and ask simple questions in another language.The device targets military applications.



        The device translates more than 1,000 spoken English phrases into other languages. Developed by a consortium of companies part of Babylon, a project of the U.S. military's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency with roughly $1 million in grants. The Phraselator is being used by peacekeeping troops in Afghanistan to communicate in Arabic, Urdu, Pashto and Dari languages. The unit is designed to handle 500 to 1,500 phrases in 2 to 10 languages.

        The Phraselator doubles as a ruggedized PocketPC. It was deployed to troops in Afghanistan. Future applications in public safety and health are anticipated. Police, fire and emergency EMS can use the Phraselators' ability to translate into virtually any language, and the utility that letting people develop large, domain-specific phrase libraries.

        Here is a brief summary of the Phraselator's technical specifications . . .
        • 206MHz Intel SA1110 StrongARM processor.
        • 32MB SDRAM, 32MB Flash memory
        • CompactFlash slot for additional memory or devices.
        • Windows CE operating system.
        • High quality audio input characteristics for speech recognition software.
        • Full frequency one-watt speaker.
        • Daylight and night readable transflective color LCD touchscreen display
        • Small, lightweight
        • Weather resistant, rugged, ergonomic case.
        • Interchangeable lithium-polymer rechargeable battery or 4AA alkaline batteries.
        • Battery charging and power management circuitry.
        • Audio in and out jacks.
        • Standard USB upstream jack.