A new superhero for the Luganda language has emerged: the LNTS system! Discover how this artificial intelligence transforms text into speech to assist those who cannot read.
In the vast world of languages, Luganda is like a hidden treasure. Over 20 million people speak it, but for artificial intelligence (AI), it’s a brand new language. Imagine a superhero who learns a new language to help others. Well, that’s kind of what the LNTS system does, which stands for Luganda Neural Text-to-Speech. Its superpower? Turning Luganda text into speech, to assist those who cannot read due to vision problems.
This invention is fantastic for people who understand Luganda but cannot read it due to vision issues or other difficulties. You can use it on a laptop without an internet connection, or on a more sophisticated version with a special unit if you have a connection.
Normally, machines mostly speak English, French, or Chinese. But thanks to Kizito, Luganda now has its own voice.
The Ugandan government has invested a lot of money in this project to support research and innovation. For Abubaker Matovu Wasswa, who also works at Makerere University, it’s like the machine is reading us a book. It’s magical!
This project will continue to evolve for several years. Even though it currently only benefits those who understand Luganda, it’s a significant step forward for all other African languages.
