Helping a Wider Audience Enjoy Broadway Shows
Helping a Wider Audience Enjoy Broadway Shows
January 23, 2018
From the Grapevine – Prof. Elena Litsyn, of BGU’s Department of Mathematics, is part of the team behind GalaPro, an app that uses patented voice recognition technology to provide closed captioning for the hearing impaired.
How it works is that the smartphone, equipped with this app, listens to a play as it is being performed and the dialogue shows up as text on the screen. No specific equipment or transcriptionist needed.
Also, its unique technology is designed to respect the strict rules of theatergoers, ensuring there are no phone calls or backlight.
In addition to offering closed captioning, GalaPro can translate the performance into a variety of languages. With the click of a few buttons, that confusing Italian opera can be dubbed into English right on your iPhone.
“The idea for the app came up one day while we were attending an opera performance that did have subtitles above the stage, but they were somewhat difficult to see and only in one language,” says Prof. Litsyn.
“[GalaPro] was born of the idea that live shows, theater, cinema and opera could be an experience anyone can enjoy – breaking down translation, cultural and even physical barriers to make them accessible to all.”
GalaPro has recently partnered with the U.S.-based Shubert Organization, the largest owner and operator of theaters on Broadway.
Read more on the From the Grapevine website >>
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