The US has been involved in wars thousands of miles away from home, and to support such a huge army would require plenty of dough – which the country has already run out of before our politicians managed to cobble a deal recently to keep it going. Well, the boys and girls who serve in war zones will need to keep in touch with the local populace there, and signing each soldier up for language classes is out of the question – so how can technology step in to help? Lockheed Martin thinks the answer lies in a Dial-a-Translator system known as LinGO Link.
The whole idea of LinGO Link would be to call into a “bank of interpreters” via a specialized smartphone operating on a proprietary data network, where a native speaker will then proceed with the translation.
According to Lockheed, “LinGo Link serves as a force multiplier by allowing interpreters, skilled in multiple languages and dialects, to be used in different areas without the need to be physically present at each location.” Seems to be rather promising, but it still remains to be seen just how far this service is able to go, and it is best used under no-pressure conditions. Put you in an unenviable position of being surrounded by crazed militants firing AK47s your way, a three way conference call might prove to be way too slow – hopefully dropped calls won’t occur then, either.
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