Baidu demonstrates translation handheld

Baidu has presented a small, portable handheld device in the United States that can be used to translate spoken words and sentences in seconds. The translation is communicated by means of a computer voice.

The device uses Baidu’s translation software, must be connected to the internet and uses deep learning systems for the translations. Currently only English, Chinese and Japanese are supported. It is unclear whether more languages ​​will follow in the future.

At a conference in San Francisco, an editor from MIT Technology Review and a scientist from Baidu were able to translate a short conversation between the two, often leaving only a few seconds between the recording of the text and the final translation.

According to MIT Technology Review, the Chinese search giant released the device mainly to help tourists move more easily abroad. The translation device can also serve as a Wi-Fi hotspot. The handheld was released in December last year, but until now it could only be rented from Chinese travel agencies and airports.