Makers Simplify Google's Offline AI Translator with New Hardware Design

Google's Gemma Translator has gained popularity since its open-source release, and makers are now building their own versions. The original device is made from accessible hardware like the Raspberry Pi 5 and can translate conversations between languages in real-time without an internet connection.

Jdaie Lin recently built his own version of the translator and simplified the process by reducing the required hardware to just a Raspberry Pi 5 and a Whisplay HAT+. The latter plugs directly into the Raspberry Pi and includes a 2.8-inch touchscreen display, two digital microphones, and a pair of small speakers.

The Whisplay HAT+ eliminates most of the loose cables and separate peripherals found in Google's reference build. However, this also means that the original software expects buttons and a rotary encoder to be present, which Lin modified by moving these controls onto the touchscreen instead.