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CES: Language tech means no more “lost in translation”
Travis Touch Plus
According to Travis, only 1 in 5 Americans speak a second language and the language learning gap in the United States is only getting worse. Many Americans don’t realize that 75 percent of people outside of the U.S. do not speak English, and if they do, it’s not at a very high level of proficiency.
A Dutch-based startup, Travis aims to close the loop on the language learning gap with its newly launched device, Travis Touch Plus. The device translates and teaches over 100 languages with the click of a button.
The pocket translator uses AI and machine learning, incorporating voice commands, wireless charging, and cutting-edge language learning software. It has built on the company’s expertise in language technology to help users not only translate languages but learn them as well. Users are now able to converse solely with Travis to learn languages separate from their native tongue.
“Travis Teacher sets us apart and shows that we are doing more than just translating a language, we are breaking language barriers,” said Lennart Van der Ziel, CEO of Travis. “If we are able to help someone learn a language through our device, we have more than exceeded our goal to make bilingual conversation a frictionless experience.”
Said Marty Abbott, executive director of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, “Americans have a mindset that, as a country, we’re not good at languages, that they’re tough, they’re challenging, that maybe only academically gifted students can do it. And that’s a false idea.”
With a multi-continent team that has a mission to bridge language barriers for a better world and give everyone the power to communicate, Travis claims to make it possible for anyone to be multilingual.
The device has a 12-hour battery life and should last for a week if it is used for around an hour per day. It can live-translate 20 languages without Wi-Fi and 80 languages if it’s connected to the Internet.
Click here to read about the Pocketalk, Google and Zoi translators.
