Two Starfish: a messaging and translation app that works both in person and for tele-communication (not in the same room). 

Starfish Translation App can function for in-person and not in-person interactions, specifically designed to help Cynthia, who speaks only Kinyarwanda, communicate effectively in English-speaking environments.

(Future versions of the app could do language detection for 27 languages and provide translation between any 2 of the 27 African languages that are supported.)

In-Person Use Case:

This scenario would happen when Cynthia is in a public space, such as a post office, where she needs to communicate directly with an English speaker. The app facilitates seamless two-way communication without the other person needing to interact with her phone.

1. Cynthia Speaks in Kinyarwanda:
   • Cynthia speaks into the app in Kinyarwanda.
   • The app transcribes her Kinyarwanda speech into Kinyarwanda text.
   • She checks the Kinyarwanda  text for accuracy and makes any edits she wants.
   • She hits the “Translate to English” button.
2. Translation into English:
   • The app translates the Kinyarwanda  text into English.
   • The English translation appears on the screen.
   • Cynthia can hit the speaker icon for the app to speak out loud in English. NOTE: Cynthia never hands her phone over – she simply holds it up at ear level, standing comfortably apart from the person she is speaking to, and the speaker can project quite loudly (audible in an environment where there is some background noise)
3. Person Responds in English:
   • The other person listens and then responds verbally in English. NOTE: As above, Cynthia never hands over her phone, she simply politely holds it within reasonable proximity of the speaker. She can pantomime to the American that it is their turn to speak. Cynthia is also trained on the language to communicate: “please speak your message into the phone so it can translate”
   • The app transcribes their English speech into English text.
   • Cynthia hits the “Translate” button.
4. Translation into Kinyarwanda:
   • The app translates the English text into Kinyarwanda  and displays it on the screen.
   • Cynthia can hit the speaker button to hear the translated message in Kinyarwanda.

This ensures that Cynthia can fully control the app without the need for anyone else to touch her phone, and the conversation flows through transcription, translation, and voice output in both directions.

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Not In-Person Use Case:

When Cynthia is messaging or communicating remotely, such as sending a message to someone who speaks only English. Cynthia is holding her phone, and the person she’s “talking to”, who is not in the same location, is holding their phone. 

1. Cynthia Records a Voice Note in Kinyarwanda:
   • Cynthia records a Kinyarwanda  voice note.
   • The app transcribes it into Kinyarwanda  text.
   • She can edit the text if necessary.
   • She selects the option to translate the text into English and sends the message.
2. The App Translates and Sends the Message:
   • The app translates the Kinyarwanda  text into English and sends it as both a text and a spoken voice note.

. Receiving a Response in English:

• The recipient responds in English (either text or voice).
• The app transcribes the English speech into text and translates it into Kinyarwanda for Cynthia.
• Cynthia can either read the translated text or have the app speak the Kinyarwanda translation aloud.

Here are the key differences between the in-person and two-person online conversations in the Starfish translation app:

1. In-Person: Only Cynthia controls the app, using it to translate her speech into English and vice versa, without the other person ever needing to touch her phone. The app handles real-time communication for face-to-face interactions, where translation and audio output happen on Cynthia’s device only.

2. Two-Person Online: Both Cynthia and the person on the other end control their respective devices. Cynthia records and sends voice notes in Kinyarwanda, which are transcribed, translated, and spoken in English by the app. The recipient replies through their own app, sending messages back in English, which are then translated and spoken in Kinyarwanda on Cynthia’s phone. Each user controls the input and output of their device independently.