AR or Augmented Reality is the new buzz word that goes a step beyond Virtual Reality (VR). Augmented Reality uses information in real-time in the form of audio, graphics, text, and integrates them with the environment of the user. AR visually changes the natural environment to provide the users with more information and enhance the experience. It blends 3D or three-dimensional components with the real-world perception of the individual. It is the real-world element, which differentiates VR and AR.
- In Augmented Reality, digital elements are added through screens for viewing the real world.
- VR takes away the visual world around us and immerses in a different environment.
In the modern world, there are many uses of Augmented Reality in gaming, marketing campaigns, product visualization, home design, architecture, industrial manufacturing, education, and even in text extraction and translation.
Augmented Reality and Translation
Translation services can broaden the market for content production. AR is playing a key role in this. But it is important to remember that AR is specific and thus, the translation required for this must also be precise. Often, it is the accurate combination of the material to be translated and use of the right software that can properly render the content and display it accurately for the target language.
There are now many tools that can do the translation using AR.
- Google Translate – There are now many AR translator tools out there. The most famous is Google Translate. It can even translate text through your phone camera. It has the ability to extract text instantly from the video stream in your camera and translate it into more than 100 languages. So, you don’t even have to take the photo. This also works on Mac. This guide here will tell you how to extract text from images on Mac. It will show you how to use the OCR method, read PDFs with built-in tools, and even make a scanned PDF document searchable.
Of course, not just Google, there are now several other players as well that can help you with the translation. These days, we can translate both real-world objects and real-world text. We just need to tap on the screen.
- Word Lens – This is another useful app. Developed by Quest Visual, this OCR or Optical Character Recognition application is present on the iPhone. Word Lens is an effective tool for language translation. Through the camera, it can translate foreign language signs easily. This app works by using OCR to single out the letters present in an image that you have captured in your camera. It will then identify the letters, build the words, and also looks them up in the dictionary. Translation is easy once it has been able to identify the words.
- Google Goggles – Google Goggles and Word Lens have similar functionalities. Goggles can also help you translate the words in an image. Google Goggles has to depend on the servers of Google to translate, whereas Word Lens can do the translation in real-time on the phone. As a result, the translation process in Google Goggles is slower. Plus, you also need a good internet connection.
Of course, the translation may not be perfect every time. But you will still be able to get a basic understanding of the translated word. With time, these apps and tools are sure to become smarter, so it can only get better.
The Future of Augmented Reality for Text Extraction and Translation
The future is certainly brighter even though there have been a few hiccups. Many casinos are already working to integrate Augmented Reality and translate for their audiences. This will allow gamers who come from varying language backgrounds to play and interact in much the same way that is found in the real-world gaming houses.
This can also help international students do courses at universities overseas in a translated and digital environment. They won’t have to travel to far-off countries and stay away from home. The organizers of music event and theaters too can use AR to provide a better online experience for the audience that cannot physically see live performances.
Companies like Magic Leap, Microsoft, and Apple have spent a lot of time and money developing systems that can display virtual high-resolution 3D characters, objects, and avatars to those who wear their AR glasses. Swave Photonics recently secured a €10M funding for developing holographic augmented reality. However, many present-day gadgets remain heavy, battery-draining, and expensive. We can certainly expect to see an improvement here in the future. We can also expect better and more engaging visual experiences.
There are several challenges. For example, iPhones and android phones have had augmented capabilities for several years. However, cameras and sensors are needed. It is difficult to augment the reality if the device cannot perceive reality. AI is also needed for interpreting and making sense of objects, people, and activities in the field of view. We also need two-way audio. For best results, there needs to be a hands-free way for interacting with the software. This will give better control over the augmented reality.
There are reports saying that Apple is bringing out everyday-wear, lightweight AR glasses soon to replace the indoors-only, bulky Vision Pro. Meta has also unveiled a new version of camera glasses with a division of Ray-Ban. The Ray-Ban-Meta smart glass collaboration is going to surely boost the competition for AI-driven augmented reality glasses.
