Once only a vision in stories, communication across languages is now possible with a small wearable. From hosting international business associates or traveling to a different country, users of Ambassador can communicate seamlessly without a worry.

Inspired by personal experiences to develop solutions that help connect people across language barriers, Waverly Labs began creating a product that combined wearables and translation technology. After the successful launch of Pilot, an earbud that can be used for live translations, music streaming and calls, Waverly Labs introduced Ambassador. 

The new interpretation device is an over-the-ear, shareable tool that is compatible with more than 20 languages and 42 dialects and allows live broadcasted speech.

A CES 2020 Innovation Award Honoree, Ambassador enables professionals and travelers of all backgrounds to have fluid conversations with others who don’t speak the same languages, offering highly accurate, real-time translations.

Versatile Solutions for Versatile Needs

Ambassador addresses the unmet need of ongoing translations for fluid conversations. The device offers three modes that allow the user to interact in personal, group and one-on-one settings.

Listen mode: In the listen mode, Ambassador actively listens for speech in the selected language taking place within 8 feet of the device. It then automatically translates the speech to their user in their selected native language. Translations are delivered audibly within the device and can also be delivered as text in the accompanying app.

Lecture mode: For those who need to address a group of listeners in a conference setting, the lecture mode on the Ambassador will broadcast the words of the speaker with the device by capturing their speech and streaming audio translations to their smartphone. The audio can then be played over the phone’s loudspeaker or paired to an audio system.

Converse mode: This mode allows users to engage in communications while each is wearing an Ambassador device. Users set the language they want to detect and receive. Up to four Ambassador units can be paired with a single smartphone for multiple people to engage in real-time, translated conversations.

The Tech Behind It

Ambassador uses an advanced far-field microphone array combined with speech recognition neural networks to capture speech within an 8 feet distance. It then processes, compresses and transmits the speech signals to cloud-based network engines to recognize, translate and synthesize the speech into the selected language.

By taking inspiration from tools used by professional interpreters, the Waverly Labs team was able to develop Ambassador as a highly accurate tool that is suitable for professional settings.
Bluetooth protocols allows teams to share devices and synchronize multiple Ambassador units to a smartphone to collaborate.

As businesses continue to expand internationally and people engage with diverse individuals, Ambassador can help enable a way for the world to connect with each other on a new level, taking us another step toward a world with no language barriers.