Yamaha Motor Co. has introduced the English version of an innovative smart phone application – “RevTranslator” that ‘translates’ engine sounds of bikes into over 100 million different combinations of preset phrases to make the bike communicate to the rider. ‘RevTranslator’ is an innovative smartphone app that purports to supply riders with a translation of what their beloved bikes are saying. The English version follows the Japanese version that was launched first and has already become huge success in Japan.
‘RevTranslator’ requires a smart phone’s sound recorder to record the engine’s sound and understand the bike’s speed, the time of the day, weather and other complex information. Basis this information, it communicates back with one of over 100 million preset phrases. The engine’s translated “emotions” vary depending on the engine sound, the time of day and the weather. The users can choose from six different characters to represent the bike, including a ‘cool’ male character or a ‘cute’ female—the responses evaluated to be communicated are influenced by these personalities. Every time the user translates, the user can also accumulate points by using the application to unlock rare caricatures of various Yamaha products used worldwide while having fun hearing the engine “talk”.