Xiaomi, using its crowdfunding platform Youpin, has unveiled a groundbreaking device called the Lighten AI English reading companion. As the name suggests, the nifty device offers Chinese speakers translation services for English. The device must be used concurrently with a smartphone as it has an inbuilt Cambridge dictionary and a simplified dictionary.
There is a 13MP Sony IMX214 camera on the gadget which takes a picture of the text placed in front of it, the camera is equipped with a wide angle lens and can take pictures of texts up to 1750 cm2. The text can be anything from a child’s picture books, exam papers, magazines and other materials that contain English texts.
Sadly, the device doesn’t provide a complete translation of the text at hand but rather it translates the word you will point towards complete with its pronunciation. The word, no matter the font type, line spacing, and typesetting format will be scanned and relayed to the app.
At just 190g and 34x34x1.62mm in size when not being used, the device is ultra-lightweight. The head projects outwards in order to allow the camera to scan the text below. Don’t fall for its tiny size, it has a 2600mAH battery under the hood. It is powered by an Intel AI chip and it also has a vacuum stabilizer to keep it stable despite its tiny size.
Shipping is expected to start from 23rd May and you can get it for 399 yuan ($59) on Xiaomi Youpin.
