Language barrier remains a persistent problem in the global space, hindering development in various sectors such as business, religion, education, and more. It has, thus, become essential to close the global gap that prevents many people from expressing themselves and being productive.
In light of this, a Ghanaian-British creator named Danny Manu and his team of engineers have harnessed the power of technology to make this huge feat a possibility by creating earbuds that are capable of translating over close to 40 languages.
Manu emphasizes the importance of AI translation technology in teaching new skills, sharing best practices, and understanding new cultures, ultimately positively impacting communities globally. His invention aims to bridge language barriers and promote global understanding.
The creator and his UK-based tech company are revolutionizing communication with this audio innovation, named CLIK earbuds. This technology is gaining ground as big businesses have adopted it in their work.
The product is said to be “the world’s first truly wireless earphones” with live voice translation. The wireless Bluetooth headset pairs with a smartphone, automatically detects spoken language, and provides a translation within a sentence or two, without requiring an internet connection.
Click also offers HD sound, calls, messages, and notifications, with a 30-hour battery life. The earbud also supports live voice translation in 40 languages. The Mymanu CLIK+ was released in 2017, and the updated version, Mymanu CLIK S, was released in 2021.
Despite initial doubts, the team developed sensor chip sets, taking three years of research and development to create CLIK. The translation system has already been used by around 20,000 to 100,000 users, making it a significant success in the market. The unique aspect of CLIK is the fact that many thought it was an impossible thing to do.
CLIK has been widely accepted and has had successful sales in the US due to its translation abilities. Danny Manu looks forward to establishing a research centre in Ghana or any part of Africa to enable engineers to look into the possibility of adding African languages to the wireless earbuds. “I believe that will give us a better understanding of how we could dedicate an R&D team to work on some of the African languages,” he said.
According to Danny Manu, the objective is to establish a dedicated team of engineers to conduct research and development on African languages, with a location in Ghana to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the language.
