Sigmo: Instant Voice Translator into 25 Languages

If you’ve been dreaming about the possibility of instantly communicating in any language, just like in Star Trek, you should know that this dream is now closer to reality. With Sigmo, the universal translator. 

The device, which translates speech into 25 different languages, relies on a Bluetooth connection with any smartphone and processing translation from an online cloud. And it does this in real time, thus eliminating the constant need for any tourist in search of directions to shove their phone in people’s faces.

So what is this instant voice translator? The Sigmo prototype is a small square box that looks quite stylish and can be worn around the neck, attached to your belt or to any other accessory. It is small enough to fit any pocket and can be easily paired with your smartphone or even iOS or Android devices. The device has two modes of translation. It can be operated by setting up your native language and the language you translate to. By pressing the first button, your speech is instantly translated and by pressing the second, you will hear a translation of what your interlocutor is saying.

How does it work? Well, this is not some kind of magic that this little translator app performs on its own. Sigmo relies on existing online translation services, namely Google Translate and other resources. Thus everything is sourced from the Internet, so your smartphone will have to be connected, in order for Sigmo to operate. The team behind this little device, however, claim they are working on an offline mode version that will work based on a more limited vocabulary.

While Sigmo is not yet as advanced as the universal translator we have seen in Star Trek, its efficiency is still unquestionable. The device supports 25 languages at the moment, including English, Spanish, German and Japanese. The team of young researchers who came up with the device ensure us that the number of supported languages will increase as online translation services will come up with more updates.

The Sigmo universal translator is being featured on a very successful Indiegogo campaign and in only a few days, it has managed to surpass the creators’ $15.000 funding goal by $5.000. The initial price for the device will be $50, including free and instant access to online translating resources.

[Image via Indiegogo]