Here is a wearable smart badge that is unlike any other given that it can translate a speech and then convert it to text in real-time. This makes it extremely handy for people to communicate effectively with those who are deaf or have a hearing impairment. The Badger, as the device is named has been developed by Satellite Displays and is being promoted primarily for use in the healthcare industry. As the developers have stated, the Badger will let doctors, nurses, and caregivers go about doing their job and help people even if they are deaf, speak a language not known to them, or are wearing a mask. That said, the company said they envisage use of the device in other sectors like retail, office, and home as well.
Satellite Displays said they are the first to come up with a smart wearable badge that provides closed captioning in real-time, something that its makers claim will open up new vistas in communication. From physical disabilities like being deaf to belonging to a different geographical location where a different language is spoken, none of that will come in the way of people communicating among themselves. Right now, the Badger is able to translate to more than 50 languages and there might be more added later on though the company isn’t making any commitment on that as of now.
The Badger does not have its own processing ability though. Instead, all of it takes place in the smartphone that the Badger is attached to, with the communication taking place via Bluetooth. The Badger however comes with dual mics to catch all that the wearer is saying, which then gets transmitted to the smartphone. The Badger app in the smartphone converts the speech into text, which is then transmitted back to the Badger for displaying on the screen.
The start-up also stated their technology – the patent for which is pending – will help meet the requirements as spelled out in the Americans with Disabilities Act, which is about providing the assistance that people with varying levels of hearing impairment might need. The company hopes their invention will help in reaching out to the around 2.5 billion people who are projected to have some level of hearing disability by 2050. That apart, the Badger is also positioned to make the most of the smart badge and the translating and interpreting market which is expected to reach $33 billion and $49.6 billion respectively by 2025.
As of now, the company is planning to generate revenues via the direct sale of the Badger smart badge though they plan to move into the Hardware SaaS business model (Hardware sales + subscription recurring revenues) as well in the future. For direct sales, the company said it would be targeting hospitals, nursing homes, hospice centers, residential care communities, pharmacies, and adult day centers all over America.
Satellite Displays also stated they are expecting sales in hundreds and thousands of units in the US alone. That they are the only company right now to be offering smart badges with closed captioning capability makes them all the more confident of hitting the bull’s eyes so far as their estimated sales target is concerned.
You can have more info on the device here.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.
