Chinese-made smart translation earbuds capable of real-time interpretation have become a sought-after product worldwide while throwing a spotlight on Timekettle, a start-up business behind them based in Shenzhen, a vibrant advanced manufacturing hub in south China's Guangdong Province.
Located in Shenzhen’s Nanshan District, Timekettle has created a market-leading product with simultaneous interpretation powered by artificial intelligence.
Jordan Gray, an American national who lives in China, has been looking for a wearable translation device that allows for seamless, natural conversations. He says that Timekettle’s earbuds can translate spoken words from different languages within a five-second delay, making communication incredibly easy.
"It's amazing for being able to actually connect people. I've used a lot of ‘transies’ [translation apps] on the phone which gets in between people. This device is amazing," said Gray.
The buzz is not just attracting new customers. Existing clients are placing fresh orders. A South Korean buyer plans to order 5,000 units this year, and a long-term North American client is expected to make a purchase of 10,000 units.
One-on-one real-time interpretation has previously relied heavily on bilingual speakers. Simultaneous interpretation with earbuds requires accurate recognition of a wearer's voice, a challenge that Timekettle has been tackling with over half of its 100 employees specializing in acoustics and interpretation algorithms.
"We've developed a world-first algorithm that can identify voices based on direction and distance and collect them. By doing so, the translation will be more accurate," said Tian Li, founder of Timekettle.
To gather data from noisy environments and eliminate background noise, Timekettle’s research and development team has been testing the device in various settings around the city.
"The earbuds have tiny batteries, but the algorithm is complicated, so we've done extensive optimization to make the algorithm run smoothly on such small hardware," said Shi Wei, head of Timekettle's research and development team.
The team also collaborates with top-tier interpreters to shorten translation times. Zhao Chenwei, an interpreter with over 20 years of experience in Chinese-English simultaneous interpretation, expressed his enthusiasm for human-machine collaboration.
"How to use technology to improve efficiency and reduce costs is something that many talented young people with big ambitions are innovating for the future of the translation industry. As a veteran interpreter, I'm thrilled," said Zhao.
With an average team age of just 28, the startup holds over 100 global patents, and its translation earbuds are sold in more than 170 countries and regions, capturing a 40 percent market share in North America.
"I think that startups should solve problems we meet in life, which is also the value of a business. We have a clear path, now it's all about working hard to make it and see it through to the end," said Tian.
Translation earbuds made by Shenzhen start-up making 'big noises' on global market
Translation earbuds made by Shenzhen start-up become sought-after product at global market
