The Pilot earpiece translates foreign languages in real time

Having a conversation with someone who doesn’t speak the same language as you can be difficult and often embarrassing. You may be able to bridge the gap with some rephrasing and lots of mime, but it will likely take a lot of time to communicate even the simplest of sentences.

Enter the Pilot from Waverly Labs. These smart earbuds allow real-time translations in French, Spanish, Italian, and English, with more languages to follow.

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While it all sounds very science fiction, the idea behind the device is straightforward enough. Both you and the person you’re conversing with put a Bluetooth earpiece in your ear which "listens" to the conversation, translates it via an app, and plays back the results as translated speech. A bit like the Babel Fish from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, except you’re not jamming a live alien fish in your ear canal.

You can see it in action below.

There aren’t many specific details at the moment -- the Pilot is seeking funding via Indiegogo and the campaign is set to launch on May 25 -- but it’s safe to assume that the quality of translations won’t be any better than you might get via the likes of Google Translate. However, the difference is they will be delivered directly to your ear and should help you at least get the gist of what is being said as the words are spoken.

More will be revealed soon, but if you’re interested in getting your hands on the Pilot, it will be priced from $129 for the first 100 backers. The retail cost is expected to be between $249 and $299.

It’s anticipated the Pilot will ship in either late winter this year, or early next spring. The full package includes the Pilot and secondary earpiece (two earpieces total), a portable charger, and the translation app.

You’ll be able to purchase additional language packs as and when these become available, although early backers will get these for free.

You can follow the campaign here.