Raytheon BBN Technologies Corporation, Cambridge, Massachusetts, is being awarded an $8,448,523 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract. The Broad Operational Language Technology Program has a goal of creating technology capable of translating multiple foreign languages in all genres, retrieving information from the translated material, and enabling bilingual communication via speech or text. Specifically, this contractor will conduct work for activity A, "Genre-Independent Translation and Information Retrieval System"; activity B, "Human-Machine Communication System"; Activity C, "Human-Human Dialogue System"; and Activity D, "Arabic Dialect Components." The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is the contracting activity.
International Business Machines Corporation, Yorktown Heights, New York, is being awarded a $6,576,024 cost contract for the Broad Operational Language Technology Program. The program has a goal of creating technology capable of translating multiple foreign languages in all genres, retrieving information from the translated material, and enabling bilingual communication via speech or text. Specifically, this contractor will conduct work for activity A, "Genre-Independent Translation and Information Retrieval System," and activity C, "Human-Human Dialogue System." The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is the contracting activity.
Military officials in Afghanistan cite the language barrier as one of the most vexing communications obstacles in the battlefield environment. It is a challenge, for example, for U.S. warfighters to communicate effectively with their coalition partners or with the Afghanistan National Security Forces, especially if they are talking over tactical radios during combat chaos. More critical still is the need for warfighters to communicate effectively with Afghan citizens and leaders at all levels.
Devices and dictionaries for converting basic phrases from one language to another are common tools for travelers in foreign countries. But when understanding context, dialect and personalities offers the chance to stop an attack or catch a terrorist, official personnel need more sophisticated technology.
The agency that administers patents among the nations of the European Union is about to receive some high-technology help from across the Internet. And, it will do so without a single euro changing hands.
Become a fan on 
Link with 
View photos on 
