Cyborg Translators – NEC Tele Scouter Computer Turns Text into a Retinal Display (UPDATE) Edit

The NEC Tele Scouter is a curious cyborg-inspired wearable gadget that, according to Technabob, translates written words and shows them in the user’s peripheral vision on a small TelePrompTer-like display.

NEC indicates that this wearable computer is meant for engineers and other workers who rely on manuals or written guides to do hands-on work. The NEC Tele Scouter will allow a supervisor to send bits and pieces of these manuals to as many as 30 users at once.

The company warns that the translation capabilities of the NEC Tele Scouter are not reliable enough for real-time speech applications, but imagine the 2.0 version of this wearable computer. Businesses could send employees to network internationally armed with the NEC Tele Scouter without fear of a language barrier or compromising the invaluable face-to-face connection that is so important in many cultures.

The NEC Tele Scouter systems will go on sale in 2010, but as is with any brand-new technology, their cost will be astronomical—Technabob says that a setup meant for 30 users will cost a hefty ¥750 million, or about $8.3 million. The NEC Tele Scouter isn’t the first gadget that’s working to break down the language barrier. Check out more images of the NEC Tele Scouter in the gallery above, and keep clicking for other translators we’ve featured at Trend Hunter.

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Additional Image Credits: 3-4