Speech-to-Speech Translation

Hannah Grap

Language Weaver, Inc.

Integrating Speech with Translation

• Communicating across languages can add significant value to business and government initiatives and processes

• Combining Speech Technology with automated translation is enabling many new cross language applications and breaking down language barriers

Language Weaver’s Role

• Automated translation engine with a high degree of customizability

• LW’s unique approach to translation provides:– Constantly improving translation quality as algorithms

improve and computing power and data resources increase

– Straightforward customization and tuning capabilities using legacy translation resources as a reference and training model

– Easy integration with other applications

SMT 101

Speech + Translation Solutions

• Speech to Text:– Foreign Broadcast Monitoring Applications– Telephony Applications– Global Webinars– Instant Messaging

• Speech to Speech:– Automated Language Interpreter for Military

Applications– Business Traveler & Tourist Aid– Doctor/patient interaction – Instant Messaging

Speech Text Translation

Speech Text Translation

Solution by Virage

Speech Text Translation

Solution Solution by BBN by BBN

Mobile Speech to Speech Translation

Mobile Speech-to-Speech Translation

Application in use between an English and an Arabic speaker

Application interface by SRI running on laptop

Implications for Other Industries

• Customer Support

• Doctor-Patient Interaction

• Global Webinars and Video Conferences

• Globally Focused Distance Learning

• High School Education in highly diverse US school districts

Factors to Consider

• Deployment (e.g., mobile)• Environment (noise)• Domain/Subject Area for

translation• Speech Quality of Users• Dialect• Translation software• Integration components

– Speech to text & text to speech software

• Hardware requirements• Speed

Why Use a Statistical Approach?

• Statistically based automated translation software– Quickly customized to specific subject domains to

improve translation accuracy– Tolerant of errors because software doesn’t rely

on linguistic rules

• For more information, please visit our website:www.languageweaver.com

Thank you!

The SMT Run-time Process

SMT Improves in Many Ways

Domain specific data

Improved algorithms

Additional data

Faster computer processors

Qua

lity

Time

Domain specific data can include subject domain, structure and style