YSM Issue 97.1
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SHORT Profile<br />
MADHAV LAVAKARE<br />
YC ’25<br />
BY PROUD UA-ARAK<br />
Madhav Lavakare’s (YC ’25) dive into the world of assistive<br />
technology traces back to his junior year of high school,<br />
when he witnessed a close friend grapple with hearing<br />
loss. After his friend, unable to understand what was being said<br />
in class, had to drop out of school, Lavakare embarked on a quest<br />
to explore existing solutions, only to encounter extravagant costs<br />
and imperfect outcomes. Traditional aids, such as hearing aids<br />
and cochlear implants, often cost tens of thousands of dollars and<br />
merely amplify sounds without clarifying them, so users may still<br />
easily miss out on what’s being said. Closed captioning on a device<br />
offers a solution to this issue of auditory comprehension but at<br />
the cost of missing visual communication cues. Hard-of-hearing<br />
individuals often have to play a “tennis match” of looking at subtitles<br />
on a mobile device and then back up at the person speaking. Since<br />
a simple phrase such as “Hey” may vary in meaning based on the<br />
expressed emotion and facial cues, closed captioning remains an<br />
imperfect solution for those who rely on it.<br />
Madhav’s invention, TranscribeGlass, emerges as a solution to<br />
these two issues faced by the hard-of-hearing community.<br />
Hoping to bridge the gap between auditory comprehension and<br />
visual cues, Lavakare designed TranscribeGlass to be affordable<br />
real-time captioning glasses. After interviewing and testing<br />
prototypes with members of the deaf community every weekend<br />
while working on this project full-time in India, Lavakare<br />
envisioned a device that seamlessly integrated real-time captions<br />
into the user’s field of view.<br />
Using Bluetooth technology, TranscribeGlass transmits caption<br />
data to a hardware device attached to a pair of glasses, mirroring<br />
the functionality of a movie projector. Imagine a transparent screen<br />
that acts as a see-through projector, enabling users to effortlessly<br />
follow along with captions in real-time, whether in a cinema hall,<br />
a classroom, or in day-to-day conversations. TranscribeGlass has<br />
evolved through a user-centric approach, driven by continuous<br />
feedback and iterative refinement.<br />
Lavakare refers to American<br />
entrepreneur Eric Ries’s mantra<br />
of the “build-measurelearn”<br />
cycle in describing<br />
how TranscribeGlass’s first<br />
prototype, albeit bulky and<br />
rudimentary, served as a<br />
starting point that was later<br />
refined by feedback. From<br />
India to Gallaudet<br />
University for the<br />
deaf and hardof-hearing<br />
in<br />
W a s h i n g t o n ,<br />
D.C., over 350<br />
individuals have<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY BY FAREED SALMON<br />
IMAGE COURTESY OF TRANSCRIBEGLASS<br />
TranscribeGlass’s beta model allows real-time speech to be converted into captions<br />
and shown in the user’s field of vision.<br />
been part of the prototype testing process, paving the way for<br />
subsequent iterations with greater compactness, longer battery<br />
life, and user-friendliness.<br />
The culmination of Lavakare’s efforts is a sleek device weighing<br />
less than eighteen grams—allowing users to not feel the burden of<br />
the device on their glasses—and boasting an impressive eight-hour<br />
battery life. Unlike conventional alternatives entailing exorbitant costs<br />
and invasive surgical procedures, TranscribeGlass offers a plug-andplay<br />
solution at $95, democratizing access to assistive technology. Its<br />
light design and prolonged battery life ensure uninterrupted usage,<br />
transcending the constraints imposed by traditional aids.<br />
Furthermore, Lavakare’s device offers a unique feature—captionsource<br />
independence. Unlike its counterparts, which often rely<br />
on a single provider and demand constant internet connectivity,<br />
TranscribeGlass utilizes a diverse array of methods to generate accurate<br />
captions, even in offline mode. By integrating with speech recognition<br />
software from companies such as Google, Apple, and Microsoft, as<br />
well as connecting to movie subtitle files and human transcription<br />
providers, it ensures accuracy and reliability across various contexts.<br />
The impact of this technology resonates with users worldwide.<br />
After a video of TranscribeGlass’s product showcase went viral<br />
with over twenty-six million views, demand for the product’s final<br />
release has skyrocketed with over fourteen thousand sign-ups for<br />
preorders. “I had a woman write to me saying, ‘Hey, I have two deaf<br />
twin daughters who are starting their freshman year of college,<br />
and this device would change their lives,’ and another shared<br />
how her father’s recent hearing loss has isolated him, believing<br />
TranscribeGlass would bring a newfound sense of inclusion and<br />
confidence for him. So, the feedback we’ve gotten has been very<br />
positive,” Lavakare said.<br />
Looking ahead, the future is ripe with possibilities for TranscribeGlass.<br />
Lavakare hopes to incorporate real-time translation into his model<br />
and cater to disabilities such as autism and ADHD by including visual<br />
cues and reminding users of past conversations. Lavakare’s journey<br />
with TranscribeGlass continues, fueled by his ability to innovate and<br />
driven by his commitment to ensure accessibility for all. ■<br />
34 Yale Scientific Magazine March 2024 www.yalescientific.org
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