SecureComm to Develope Speech-to-Speech Translation Systems for DARPA's TRANSTAC Program

SANTA ANA, CA: Secure Communication Systems, an innovator in rugged handheld and deployable computer systems, announced today it has been awarded a subcontract by BBN Technologies to provide research and development (R&D) services in support of advancing Spoken Language Communication and Translation System for Tactical Use (TRANSTAC) performance on ruggedized portable and mobile systems. The BBN subcontract is part of a broader initiative of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) TRANSTAC Speech-to-Speech (S2S) Translation program, to create bidirectional, free-form, speaker independent, S2S translation systems.

Secure Communication Systems (Secure) will provide hardware engineering services to enhance S2S translation on handheld and mobile devices. In addition, Secure will provide one of its ultra-mobile personal computers (UMPC), the Lynx Translator, as a common test bed for the TRANSTAC S2S translation software. The Lynx was specifically designed by Secure to support two-way S2S translation software such as BBN’s TransTalk™ software. Combining the Lynx Translator with TransTalk™ software finally provides robust S2S Translation in an integrated, handheld, field usable platform.

Secure looks forward to continuing to work with BBN, DARPA, and the rest of the TRANSTAC program participants throughout the course of the contract to advance the cutting edge technology of S2S translation on a handheld platform S2S translation programs, such as BBN’s TransTalk™, allow an English speaking user to have a spoken conversation with a native speaker of Iraqi Arabic. Significantly more advanced than one-way fixed- phrase systems, TransTalk™ translates what a user says in English into spoken Iraqi Arabic for the Iraqi to hear, and then translates the Iraqi’s spoken reply into English. The software combines statistical speech-recognition, machine translation, and speech synthesis technologies and runs on Microsoft Windows XP™ platforms.

Secure Communication Systems is a proven world leader in the design and manufacture of rugged computers and peripherals. Based in Santa Ana, California the company provides ruggedized equipment for military and other severe environment applications. The company has a diverse product line featuring workstations, displays, handheld workstations, and tablet PCs. Secure is a member of the ASC Group of PMC Global Inc. For further information contact 714-547-1174 or visit, www.securecomm.com.