WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., Sept. 8 (UPI) -- An application for cellphones and other devices to translate foreign-language menus into English could aid people on special diets, U.S. researchers say.
Computer scientists at Purdue University's School of Electrical and Computer Engineering developed the program.
"You type in the menu listing and the application translates it automatically without [the need of] talking to a server," Professor Mireille "Mimi" Boutin said. "It only takes a fraction of a second, you don't need connection to the Internet and it won't empty your battery."
Before traveling to a foreign country, the user would download a region- and language-specific configuration and database and from then on the system can operate without a network connection, a Purdue release said Thursday.
The system could be further developed as a tool for people who have special diets by adding a database of nutritional information, they said.
"People who must follow a medical diet are often reluctant to travel for fear of putting their health at risk," Boutin said. "Without the ability to understand menus, it is impossible to make informed food choices."
The system can warn people when certain ingredients or nutrients are contained in a dish, she said.
In that case the device can suggest questions and answers, written in both English and the chosen language, so the user and the restaurant staff can discuss the content of the dish and possible alternatives.
