Latest news with #TranscribeGlass
WIRED
2 days ago
- WIRED
These Transcribing Eyeglasses Put Subtitles on the World
TranscribeGlass can subtitle conversations in nearly real time and will soon be able to translate languages and tell you when the person you're talking to you is feeling socially awkward. PHOTOGRAPH: COURTESY OF TRANSCRIBE I knew the AI on these smart glasses worked pretty well once it told me that someone else in the conversation was being the socially awkward one. TranscribeGlass are smart eyeglasses that aim to do exactly what it says on the tin: transcribe spoken conversations and project subtitles onto the glass in front of your eyes. They're meant for the Deaf and, primarily, the hard-of-hearing community who struggle to read lips or pick out a conversation in a loud room. Most face computers are graceless and heavy, but these glasses are light, only 36 grams. TranscribeGlass is able to keep the weight off by relegating most of the main computing features to a companion app (iOS only for now). There are no cameras, microphones, or speakers in the frames, just a small waveguide projector in the rim of one eye that beams a 640 x 480p image onto the glass. That is just enough resolution for text to be legible when it is projected directly into your vision, subtitling the conversations picked up by the mic in your phone. In the app, subtitles can be moved around in the wearer's vision, anywhere within a 30-degree field of view. You can change the settings to adjust how many lines of text come in at a time, dialing up to a wall of text and down to one word at a time. The battery in the glasses should last around eight hours between charges. The frames cost around $377, and there's an additional $20-per-month subscription fee to access the transcription service. Subtitles are currently available in the glasses, but Madhav Lavakare, the 24-year-old founder of TranscribeGlass, has other features lined up. In the testing phase are a setting to translate languages in real time and one to analyze the tone of voice of the person talking. Glass Dismissed As Lavakare told me (and The New Yorker in April), he envisioned the idea for this product after wanting to help a hard-of-hearing friend engage in conversations that were not happening with his needs in mind. Lavakare, who is a senior at Yale University, figured glasses were the way to go. If he could just get them right. And, you know, make them look cooler than some other glasses out there. 'I was pretty obsessed with Google Glass when it came out,' Lavakare says. 'Oh,' I say. 'So you were a Glasshole?' 'I was, I was!' he says with a laugh. 'And then I was like, why are people calling me that?' While we are talking, the words pop up onto the screen of the glasses I'm wearing. They show up in a Matrix -y green font that patters out across my vision. It does a pretty good job of transcribing the conversation, though it does split the word 'Glasshole' into 'Glass Hole,' which is honestly funnier. Though Lavakare's smart glasses are much more normal-glasses-adjacent than Google Glass ever was, they still can't really help but look like smart glasses. The screen has a slight shimmer where the waveguides sit on the glass that is just visible enough to onlookers and is clearly noticeable to me when I am wearing them. Aside from those minor gripes, the service itself works almost eerily well. At a bustling coworking space in San Francisco with many conversations happening around us, Lavakare and Nirbhay Narang, Transcribe's CTO, talked to me while I wore the glasses. Most of the transcriptions were grammatically correct and were labeled with different speaker titles to make it clear who was talking. It all works so fast and so well, in fact, that the words popped up so quickly that I had trouble reading them as the conversation went on and new lines of text appeared almost simultaneously. The transcriptions are also sometimes a little grainy and hard to focus on at the moment. Still, with a little practice, it's hard not to see how this would be extremely useful for people who are hard of hearing. TranscribeGlass has a few competitors. Companies like Even realities and XRAI make glasses that look flashier and offer more features, like turn-by-turn directions and chatbot interaction. But Lavakare says the limited functionality is what makes his spectacles special. 'All these smart glasses exist, but no one's found a great use case for them,' Lavakare says. 'We think we've really found a use case that's just insanely valuable to the end user.' While he says these glasses can't play music or use AI to answer questions, they only really need to do one thing well to get people to wear them: help them understand what is being said around them. Lavakare likens that feeling of missing out on a conversation happening around you to a kind of social isolation. That said, he does hope to pack other conversational features into the glasses, with the goal of enhancing what you can glean from the subtext of a chat. One upcoming feature is language translation. Narang and I have a short conversation to test the translation abilities. He speaks to me in Hindi while I speak to him in English. On my glasses, I see whatever he's speaking to me translated into English on my screen. When I respond in English, the Hindi text pops up on his phone app. It's a service that also seems to work well enough, though some words are mistranslated. That's why the feature hasn't yet come to the few hundred customers TranscribeGlass has now. IMAGE COURTESY OF TRANSCRIBE More Features to Come There are other features in the works. Lavakare wants to let users have the option of translating a spoken language into something more like the syntax used in a visual language such as American Sign Language, which tends to have a different order of nouns, verbs, and tense than spoken English. Trusting that translation to AI, when most Deaf people can and do already read in English just fine, could cause some inaccuracies or misinterpretations. Lavakare acknowledges that potential for error, noting that he has talked with Deaf educators at the American School for the Deaf to try to get it right. 'Sign language grammar is actually very different than English grammar,' Lavakare says. 'That's why this is still experimental.' He's also testing an even more dubious capability—recognizing the emotion of a speaker based on tone of voice alone. Emotion tracking is a fraught topic in the AI space, albeit one people just can't seem to help putting into smart glasses. While TranscribeGlass hasn't released the ability to catalog emotions during a conversation, the team is testing it with the goal of releasing soon. It makes sense for helping with conversational comprehension, given that detecting how a person says something is often as important as knowing what they say. Lavakare lets me test it out, switching on the feature while I'm wearing the glasses. 'Watch this,' he says. Then, 'Hey Boone, how's it going?' His words pop up on the screen. I start to answer, and then a dialog tag appears with the emotion attached to his words: [Awkwardness]. I laugh and say, 'Oh no, are we that awkward?' Then the tag pops up on my words: [Amused]. Now my words have my name next to it, which the platform had picked up when Lavakare said it earlier. As soon as I finish talking, it changes my dialog tag to [Awkwardness] . Well. Maybe this thing does work.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
TranscribeGlass Places Multiple Follow-on Orders for Vuzix Z100 Smart Glasses
– AI-driven speech to text wearable transcription enhances accessibility for the deaf or hard of hearing, delivering real-time closed captions in nearly any environment ROCHESTER, N.Y., June 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Vuzix® Corporation (NASDAQ: VUZI) ("Vuzix" or the "Company"), a leading supplier of smart glasses, waveguides and augmented reality (AR) technology today announced that TranscribeGlass, a Connecticut-based company specializing in real-time speech-to-text transcription solutions, is continuing to place follow-on orders for Vuzix Z100 smart glasses to support increasing demand for its AI-powered real-time transcription service. TranscribeGlass is built to improve accessibility for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing by using AI to deliver real-time speech-to-text transcription with latency under 300 milliseconds, ensuring rapid and reliable captioning. The device connects via Bluetooth to a user's existing smartphone or tablet and performs effectively in both quiet and noisy environments. Advanced speaker identification further enhances usability, making it easier to follow conversations in group settings. "These follow-on orders reflect the strong market response we've received since our solution launch," said Madhav Lavakare, Founder and CEO of TranscribeGlass. "TranscribeGlass empowers individuals with hearing impairments by delivering real-time closed captions directly into their field of view, fundamentally improving accessibility and communication. With growing demand for our solution, the Vuzix Z100 enables us to offer a seamless, all-day wearable experience that's accelerating adoption and expanding our impact." "Vuzix Z100 smart glasses offer a perfect foundation for TranscribeGlass's advanced AI transcription technology," said Paul Travers, President and CEO of Vuzix. "By working together, we aim to accelerate the use and development of smart eyewear, further solidifying Vuzix' position at the forefront of AI-driven wearable tech." About Vuzix Corporation Vuzix is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of AI driven Smart Glasses and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies, components and products for the enterprise, medical, defense and consumer markets. The Company's products include head-mounted smart personal display and wearable computing devices that offer users a portable high-quality viewing experience, provide solutions for mobility, wearable displays and augmented reality, as well OEM waveguide optical components and display engines. Vuzix holds more than 425 patents and patents pending and numerous IP licenses in the fields of optics, head-mounted displays, and the augmented reality wearables field. The Company has won Consumer Electronics Show (or CES) awards for innovation for the years 2005 to 2024 and several wireless technology innovation awards among others. Founded in 1997, Vuzix is a public company (NASDAQ: VUZI) with offices in: Rochester, NY; and Kyoto and Okayama, Japan. For more information, visit the Vuzix website, X and Facebook pages. Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer Certain statements contained in this news release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements contained in this release relate to Vuzix Smart Glasses, our business relationship. expectations of continuing further product orders, and other future business opportunities with TranscribeGlass and among other things the Company's leadership in the Smart Glasses and AR display industry. They are generally identified by words such as "believes," "may," "expects," "anticipates," "should" and similar expressions. Readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which are based upon the Company's beliefs and assumptions as of the date of this release. The Company's actual results could differ materially due to risk factors and other items described in more detail in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's Annual Reports and MD&A filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and applicable Canadian securities regulators (copies of which may be obtained at or Subsequent events and developments may cause these forward-looking statements to change. The Company specifically disclaims any obligation or intention to update or revise these forward-looking statements as a result of changed events or circumstances that occur after the date of this release, except as required by applicable law. Vuzix Media and Investor Relations Contact: Ed McGregor, Director of Investor Relations,Vuzix Corporationed_mcgregor@ Tel: (585) 359-5985 Vuzix Corporation, 25 Hendrix Road, West Henrietta, NY 14586 USA,Investor Information – IR@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Vuzix Corporation
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
AI-Powered TranscribeGlass Solution Selects Vuzix Z100 Smart Glasses for Launch of Real-Time Speech-to-Text Transcription Service
- AI-driven transcription enhances accessibility for the deaf or hard of hearing, delivering real-time closed captions in nearly any environment ROCHESTER, N.Y., Feb. 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Vuzix® Corporation (NASDAQ: VUZI) ("Vuzix" or the "Company"), a leading supplier of smart glasses, waveguides and augmented reality (AR) technology, and TranscribeGlass, a Connecticut-based company specializing in real-time speech-to-text transcription solutions, today announced the launch of their AI-powered transcription service using Vuzix Z100™ smart glasses. Designed to enhance accessibility for the deaf or hard of hearing, the TranscribeGlass solution leverages AI to convert speech into text with sub-300 millisecond latency, ensuring fast and accurate closed captions. The system connects via Bluetooth to a customer's existing smartphone or tablet and functions seamlessly in both quiet and noisy environments. Additionally, speaker identification technology allows users to follow conversations more easily in group settings. "This moment has been seven years in the making," said Madhav Lavakare, Founder and CEO of TranscribeGlass. "TranscribeGlass empowers individuals with hearing impairments by placing real-time closed captions directly in their field of view, transforming accessibility and communication. The Vuzix Z100 enables us to deliver this experience in an all-day wearable format, making it a game-changer for our users." "The Z100 smart glasses provide an ideal platform for TranscribeGlass's cutting-edge AI-powered transcription," said Paul Travers, President and CEO of Vuzix. "Our collaboration will drive adoption and innovation in the smart glasses industry, reinforcing Vuzix' leadership in AI-enabled wearable technology." About Vuzix Corporation Vuzix is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of AI driven Smart Glasses and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies, components and products for the enterprise, medical, defense and consumer markets. The Company's products include head-mounted smart personal display and wearable computing devices that offer users a portable high-quality viewing experience, provide solutions for mobility, wearable displays and augmented reality, as well OEM waveguide optical components and display engines. Vuzix holds more than 425 patents and patents pending and numerous IP licenses in the fields of optics, head-mounted displays, and the augmented reality wearables field. The Company has won Consumer Electronics Show (or CES) awards for innovation for the years 2005 to 2024 and several wireless technology innovation awards among others. Founded in 1997, Vuzix is a public company (NASDAQ: VUZI) with offices in: Rochester, NY; and Kyoto and Okayama, Japan. For more information, visit the Vuzix website, Twitter and Facebook pages. Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer Certain statements contained in this news release are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward looking statements contained in this release relate to Vuzix Smart Glasses, our business relationship and future opportunities with TranscribeGlass and among other things the Company's leadership in the Smart Glasses and AR display industry. They are generally identified by words such as "believes," "may," "expects," "anticipates," "should" and similar expressions. Readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which are based upon the Company's beliefs and assumptions as of the date of this release. The Company's actual results could differ materially due to risk factors and other items described in more detail in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's Annual Reports and MD&A filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and applicable Canadian securities regulators (copies of which may be obtained at or Subsequent events and developments may cause these forward-looking statements to change. The Company specifically disclaims any obligation or intention to update or revise these forward-looking statements as a result of changed events or circumstances that occur after the date of this release, except as required by applicable law. Vuzix Media and Investor Relations Contact: Ed McGregor, Director of Investor Relations,Vuzix Corporationed_mcgregor@ Tel: (585) 359-5985 Vuzix Corporation, 25 Hendrix Road, West Henrietta, NY 14586 USA, Investor Information – IR@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Vuzix Corporation
