Lingo Pal Children’s Language Translator David Sunderland Daniel Binuya

Basic Concept Interactive language toy, ages 3-8  Tag objects around the house or classroom  Provides pronunciation and spelling  Fun, colorful, and easy to use Better than television!  Can be used without supervision  Supports bilingual learning  May be personalized, involving parents in activity

Basic Scenario Self-contained language kits  Parent buys reader and language kit Each kit includes preset tags, mapped to particular words Also included is a language cartridge or card with those words  Parent applies tags to objects around house  Child learns to use reader, which has only two buttons Read button: reads the nearest tag and plays the word Power button  Parent may change the tag mappings and audio clips Reader has WiFi interface for updating mappings Software combines reader and home computer intuitively Online database allows access to new words, languages

Components Handheld Platform  iPAQ 5500 for testing – overkill in the final product  Integrated WiFi and expandable memory (for ROMs)  Bright video display, clear audio output, one button RFID reader  Coupled via serial interface to handheld  Short-range: 3-10 cm Administration Software  For remapping tags, updating language data Web Database (not in scope of project)  Some databases already in existence

Component Overview (Handheld)

Component Overview (Resources) Handheld reads language data from ROMs, caches data Global language database duplicates information on ROMs Application running on home computer acts as local server Interface for administration, customization

Work To Do Minimum System:  RFID reader Setting up serial interface, reader board I iPAQ Getting power to reader board  Basic tag I word mapping  Audio output & simple display Final Product:  Simple vector animations  Automatic downloads via WiFi  Custom word mappings and audio playback  Powering reader board from iPAQ

Related Work Based on design by Jean Lee, UW Industrial Design Related work: Roma Reader (2001)  Barbara Mack, Michelle Hlubinka, Harvard; Benjamin Vigoda, MIT  Work jointly with the Open Society Institute  RFID reader system for bilingual education of Roma children in the Czech Republic  Tags placed in flash cards, reader in a small table Lingo Pal is first to target more general audience  Handheld platform could make language ed. ubiquitous  Graphic display incorporates reading/writing skills

Current Issues Need C functions for interfacing with RFID reader iPAQ doesn’t have serial port  Interface with Compact Flash serial port  Figure out drivers Currently using UNIX ‘play’ for audio—is there a better way? Trying to figure out why wireless doesn’t work

Evaluation Robustness  Doesn’t crash on multiple button presses  Behaves reasonably in presence of multiple tags  Transfers data reliably and transparently  Makes customization intuitive and reliable Affordability User studies  Are reader and software easy to use?  Is the product engaging and fun?  Does it integrate well into the classroom (bilingual or else)?  Is there a measurable improvement in language ability?