Teenager creates device that converts breath into speech

Arsh Shah Dilbagi is the 16-year-old Indian behind this innovation. The teenager developed an electronic audio translator that transforms breath into words. The device, “Talk”, was designed for people with motor neurone disease (MND), to help translate their breath into words.

 

The teenager created a prototype audio translator for less than €70, which is around 100 times cheaper than other augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices, as used by the British physicist Stephen Hawking, that are currently available on the market.

 

The device translates using Morse code breathing signals captured by a sensor. These signals are then translated into dots and dashes by a microprocessor that then translates them into words, which are then sent to a second microprocessor that synthesizes the voice. The Morse code can be translated into English or converted into specific commands and expressions. The audio translator device has nine different voices to suit the different age groups and gender of the users. It is lighter than a typical smartphone and has a battery life of two days.

 

The device won Arsh the Voters’ Choice Award at the 2014 Google Science Fair (for inventors aged 13-18), and with it a $10,000 (€7,700) grant to help him develop the project.

Contact Traductanet if you are looking for an audio translator or someone who can translate from a recording.

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