Air Warrior Col. John W. Thompson - KMI Media Group

More documents

Recommendations

Info

SRI is now conducting a seedling study using semantic information to improve statistical machine translation for future translation programs. “We look forward to developing the next generation of translation systems,” Franco said. “We are continuously improving our existing technologies to create systems for low-density languages, wider domains and informal genres that are able to operate in real-world environments.” Integrated Wave Technologies already has over 8,200 Voice Response Translators (VRTs) in the field. VRTs translate about 350 English commands into 54 foreign languages. They can also work with different input languages, such as Polish or Dari. “Talk to any commander and this is what they will buy with their own money,” stressed IWT President Tim McCune. “It is hands-free and works under very high noise levels. It is extremely rugged and we warranty it for five years.” The basic VRT model costs $1,500, weighs about 11 ounces and fits in an ammunition pouch. The VRT has a high-end headset, similar to those worn by bicycle police. 34 | SOTECH 8.9 Vcom3D makes V Communicator Mobile (VCM) software and headsets for use with common consumer devices like Apple’s iPod Touch and the Android. Ernie Bright, Vcom3D business development and product manager, emphasized that these one-way VCMs for translating about 2,500 English phrases to six foreign languages are platform-agnostic and can also be used for training. “For training, you can add pictures of how to gesture. Soldiers can also add more phrases or pictures of missing soldiers when they go doorto-door.” About 1,200 VCMs have been deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan and Sudan. Use of commercial hardware enables Vcom3D to exploit common accessories, like speakers, megaphones and solar re-chargers. Because soldiers can use these devices for many non-military purposes, they are not an extra burden and tend to be well cared for. Speakers can use their natural voices, including slang, and artificial intelligence algorithms will interpret. The next version will enable two-way translation. The VCM software and headset alone costs about $1,000. Ectaco’s G-5 Speechguard looks like a large cell phone with a speaker, explained Account Executive Jerry Cimadomo. The GI-5 translates about 19,000 English commands into four languages, including Arabic and Pahsto. Non-military models work in over 100 languages, with up to 20 languages each, and more languages can be added to the G-5 with orders of 150 or more. The G-5 costs $950. “It also does text translation both ways,” Cimadomo noted. Ectaco is increasingly working on health, police and homeland security versions of the Speechguard. Voxtec produces the handheld Phraselator P2 and the holster-mounted SQU.ID SQ.200, which enables eyes-free, hands-free communication. Both models do one-way translation of broad domain “language modules,” each consisting of approximately 700 words, phrases or commands, translated into multiple foreign languages. The P2 user can access desired commands via push-to-talk mode or manually by scrolling down to desired commands, while the SQ.200, designed for tactical situations, can operate manually or Ernie Bright Clayton Millis entirely through automatic voice recognition of spoken commands. Sales Director Clayton Millis said the P2 can also record responses of foreign language speakers. The GSA cost of the current P2 is $2,800 and the SQ.200 is $1,900. “The future will be twoway translation, and we are working on an Android-based system,” Millis said. The next versions, Phraselator P3 and SQU.ID SQ.410, are due in late 2011 and will offer freespeech one-way, limiteddomain two-way translation capability in language pairs of military interest. “This is a big technical challenge. Be careful when people tell you they can do two-way,” he added. Kwikpoint provides nonelectronic visual language translation (VLT) for soldiers in the field. With pictures and phonetic spellings, these graphical pocket guides help soldiers communicate with and understand the responses of foreign language speakers. “It is not electronic, there are no batteries, and if you drop it, it still works,” emphasized CEO Alan Stillman. “You can point to a picture of a marketplace and ask a local where the bomb is and they can show you.” Kwikpoint’s new maritime VLT is a pointto-pictures communication device with easy-to-say phonetics of key phrases in eight languages for investigations of multilingual crews. Another innovation, the Kandahar Smart Card, helps French-speaking Canadian forces in southern Afghanistan, with visuallanguage graphics and phonetic pronunciation of key Pashto phrases. Talk Technologies provides wireless radio equipment for interpreters and listeners, as well as voice-silencing and isolating microphones. “That replaces the need for an isolating booth so the system can be portable,” explained Chief of Operations Nigel Kostiuck. These accessories are now deployed with both U.S. and UN forces. Talk is working on a diplomat version of its radios that can be set for either one- or two-way communications, as the immediate situation requires. O For more information, contact SOTECH Editor Dave Ahearn at davea@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.SOTECH-kmi.com. www.SOTECH-kmi.com
The advertisers index is provided as a service to our readers. KMI cannot be held responsible for discrepancies due to last-minute changes or alterations. aD V e r t i S e r S in D e x ATV Corp ...................................31 www.atvcorp.com Cases2Go ...................................35 www.cases2go.com Esri .......................................C4 www.esri.com/c4isr Honeywell ..................................23 www.missionready.com International Training Inc. .....................27 www.itiwsi.com Lord .......................................15 www.lord.com L-3 GCS ....................................C2 www.l-3com.com/gcs MiLanguages ................................33 www.milanguages.com Pelican .....................................20 www.pelican.com/sot Rapid Rescue Products ........................10 www.rapidrescueproducts.com STIDD Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 www.stiddmil.com Worldwide Language Resources ......................34 www.wwlr.com ca l e n D a r January 12–14, 2011 AUSA Army Aviation Symposium National Harbor, Md. www.ausa.org January 11–13, 2011 Shot Show Las Vegas, Nev. www.shotshow.org January 24–26, 2010 Counter IED Summit Arlington, Va. www.counteriedsummit.com January 24–27, 2010 Tactical Power Source Summit Arlington, Va. www.tacticalpowersourcessummit.com January 26–27, 2011 Marine West Military Expo Camp Pendleton, Calif. www.marinemilitaryexpos.com/ article-details?id=4 January 31–February 3, 2011 Soldier Technology US Arlington, Va. www.wbresearch.com/ soldiertechnologyusa/home.aspx February 6–8, 2011 Tactical Wheeled Vehicles Conference Monterey, Calif. http://ndia.org NATIONAL PELICAN AND PELICAN-HARDIGG DEALER With a unique concentration on senior military officers and DoD leadership, KMI Media Group focuses on distinct and essential communities within the defense market. This provides the most powerful and precise way to reach the exact audience that procures and deploys your systems, services and equipment. KMI Media Group offers by far the largest and most targeted distribution within critical market segments. Sharp editorial focus, pinpoint accuracy and depth of circulation make KMI Media Group publications the most cost-effective way to ensure your advertising message has true impact. www.SOTECH-kmi.com SOTECH 8.9 | 35
Page 1 and 2: Air Warrior Col. John W. Thompson C
Page 3 and 4: Sp e c i a l Op e r at i O n S te c
Page 5 and 6: Compiled by KMI Media Group staff B
Page 7 and 8: Compiled by KMI Media Group staff p
Page 9 and 10: www.SOTECH-kmi.com Co u n t e r m e
Page 11 and 12: and in many ways can limit overall
Page 13 and 14: Mulholland Wish List Co m m a n D e
Page 15 and 16: Averting Personnel Injuries weight
Page 17 and 18: LORD MR Suspension Systems are acti
Page 19 and 20: sp e C i a l o p s p e r s o n n e
Page 21 and 22: NFS Fights Fires Multiple Ways NFS
Page 23 and 24: Q&A Needed: More Air Assets, Better
Page 25 and 26: mission ready Honeywell Defense Log
Page 27 and 28: Being Let Down Gently olD C H u t e
Page 29 and 30: the standard cable loop canopy rele
Page 31 and 32: compatible with JP8 fuel such as mi
Page 33 and 34: www.atvcorp.com Purpose Built COTS,
Page 35: And Transparent also does assessmen
Page 39 and 40: Next Issue Cover and In-Depth Inter

Air Warrior Col. John W. Thompson - KMI Media Group

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?