Real-time voice interpretation application "My Interpreter Assist V2" is now available at Tobu Zoo! -Interpretation application that enables customer service with foreign visitors to Japan and in-facility broadcasting - "Online Translation by Takadensha

(Head office: Abeno Ward, Osaka; President: Kyotetsu Gao) has started providing "My Interpreter Assist V2," a real-time voice interpretation application for Android tablet terminals, to Tobu Zoo (Tobu Leisure Planning Corporation; Miyashiro-cho, Saitama Prefecture; President: Takehito Hioki).

Case Study: Tobu Zoo (Tobu Leisure Planning Co., Ltd.)

Tobu Zoo is a hybrid leisure land in Saitama Prefecture that combines an amusement park, a zoo, and a flower and plant plaza. There is a swimming pool in summer and illumination in winter. There are roller coasters and attractions for parents and children, and the zoo is home to approximately 120 species of animals, including white tigers. The zoo boasts an annual attendance of approximately 1.2 million visitors, making it one of the top zoos in Japan.
We recently spoke with Tobu Leisure Planning Corporation, which has introduced "My Interpretation Assist V2," a bidirectional system that supports Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean, for the purpose of serving foreign visitors and making announcements within the facility.

Background and Issues

The number of foreigners visiting Tobu Zoo is increasing every year, and in particular, visitors from China and Taiwan are coming to the park almost every day.
When asked about current issues, he replied, "We have only one English-speaking staff member, who cannot respond when he is on vacation, and it is also difficult to hire foreign staff, so dealing with foreign visitors has been a challenge. We also thought it was important to be able to announce in our native language how to respond to guests who are sick or in the event of an emergency such as an earthquake, such as "Please gather around" or "Please run away. We thought it was important to be able to communicate in our native language in case of an emergency, such as an earthquake.

Status of use

Ticket purchase instructions, attraction descriptions, and information on stopped rides
The online user dictionary allows for the correct translation of ride names!
'We use it in situations such as how to buy tickets when entering the park with guests and explaining amusement park attractions. When I speak into the tablet, multiple speech-recognized sentence candidates appear, so I don't have to worry if the recognition doesn't work, and it's easy and convenient because I can also input text using the flick method I'm used to using on my smartphone."

Tobu Zoo has prepared standardized sentences for rides and last bus times. The fill-in-the-blank function can be used, so if the "Water Wooden Coaster Regina" and the "New Gliding Water Coaster Kingfisher" have to suspend their operations due to lightning, the appropriate broadcast text can be created using the attraction selection buttons and pull-down selection function.

The dictionary has all the words and sentences used in the park, including the names of rides and restaurants, so the translations are accurate. That kind of customization is what sets it apart from free tools."

Results of the introduction of the system

It has led to improved service for foreign visitors.
"Recently, we played a broadcast when an elderly Chinese visitor got lost and when a teacher on a school field trip asked us to assemble the children who could only speak English. We hope to continue to improve our service to our foreign customers."

Summary of the customer

Introduction partner: Tobu Business Solution Co.

About "My Interpreter Assist V2

Enabling hospitality even if you don't speak a foreign language
In the "Questionnaire on the improvement of the reception environment for foreign visitors to Japan in Japan" conducted by the Japan Tourism Agency in 2017, the most common complaint of foreign tourists was that they were unable to communicate with staff at facilities, etc., making Communication with foreign visitors has become a major issue.
My Interpreter Assist V2" was released on July 18, 2018 as a higher version of the original "My Interpreter Assist". In addition to the basic function of tapping the button for the language to be spoken and speaking into the tablet, the voice is recognized and the translation results are not only displayed in text on the screen, but also played back in voice.

Key Points of the Version Upgrade
(1) Customization is possible by registering canned sentences assumed by the customer.
(2) Customized sentence patterns (canned scenario function) can be created by selecting from a menu (cab, restaurant, medical institution, lost child broadcast, bus information, etc.) in accordance with the situations assumed by the customer.
For example, in the case of a "lost child," an original sentence can be easily created by tapping the name, age, meeting place, etc. on the tablet in accordance with the question items.
(3) Added functionality to connect to broadcasting equipment to make announcements.

・Price
The plan for use with three tablet devices costs 360,000 yen per year (excluding tax and tablets). Customization fees for creating canned messages and scenarios are required separately.

Sales Target
Sales target: 100 companies by the end of March 2020.

Real-time voice interpretation application "My Interpreter Assist" Product URL
https://www.kodensha.jp/index/products/my/

＜For inquiries regarding this press release, please contact
ARA Akasaka Bldg. 5F, 5-4-15 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0052, Japan
(TEL) 03-3584-3723 (FAX) 03-3584-3726 (E-mail ) press-release@kodensha.jp