There was a time when travelling to a non-English speaking country would require you to carry a book that would translate the common words used in the local lingo to the language you understand. With the advent of smartphones and apps, it is now a breeze to say hello, or even use expletives for an over-charging cabbie, if you are brave enough to face the consequences post that.
Beyond the understanding of people who treat their vehicles as mere modes of transportation from point A to B, there are some, who like to believe their vehicles have a soul, a heart and a mind. They are the ones who talk to their cars/bikes in a language no one else can speak and try to interpret what their soul-mate on wheels has to say. Motorcycle manufacturer Yamaha Motor Co has released just the right app, which will make it easier to understand what the bike has to say. The Yamaha Rev Translator app supposedly translates engine sounds into Japanese, for those who Look Tokyo and Talk London, English will be added in the near future.
A first of its kind, the free app enables users to “translate” the sound of engines into more than 100 million combinations of Japanese lines.
Yamaha spokesman Tetsuya Tadachi said the company came up with the app based on its brand slogan “Revs your Heart.”
“We’d like people to get excited and have fun” with the app, Tadachi said. Using it involves holding a smartphone over an engine to get a translation of what the engine is trying to say. Tadachi said he hopes the app can help people feel closer to their engines.
The app can be employed with engine sounds on various vehicles, including motorcycles, cars, boats, four-wheel drive buggies and snowplows, according to the spokesman. It can even be used on electricity generators.
The app takes a few seconds to provide a translation, Tadachi said. It takes into account the time of day and the weather as well as the unique personality of the engine.
“If the engine sound is harsh, the mood of the translated texts will be angry, and if the sound is softer, the mood will be warm and fuzzy,” he said.
So the next time you skip that oil-change schedule, brace yourself for some cuss words coming from your bike.
Source: Japan Times