The language barrier is the most common thing that many travellers can relate to. English may be an international language, but communicating with those who don’t speak it requires some skill. So when travelling to a country where your native language isn’t spoken, don’t expect to become fluent by the time you leave. Rather than frantically learning a few words from a dictionary, this novel earpiece could be a game changer for international travellers. 

Called Pilot, this unique earpiece by wearable tech company Waverly Labs, aims to ensure you never get lost in translation again. And founder Andrew Ochoa revealed that inspiration behind Pilot came after he met a French girl, whom he yearned to communicate with clearly.

Most travellers think locals will understand them if they speak slowly, clearly, and with carefully chosen words. However, with this smart earpiece and corresponding app, it uses speech-recognition technology to translate in real time. This way the two people speaking different languages can have a conversation without missing a beat. Of course, in order for the technology to work, both people need to be connected. That’s why the set comes with two earpieces; one for each participant.

Pilot will be available in languages English, Spanish, French and Italian, before more options such as Slavic, Semitic, Hindi, and East Asian are added. Orders can already be made through Indiegogo. Earpieces are scheduled for release by spring 2017, at a price of $299US that includes access to select languages. Additional languages will be available via download.

To see Pilot in action, watch the video below.

Source: http://www.cntraveler.com/stories/2016-05-17/new-pilot-earpiece-translates-languages-for-you-in-real-time