Robert Munro
Stanford University & Energy for Opportunity
Workshop on Crowdsourcing and Translation
10 June 2010
Realtime crowdsourced translation for emergency response and beyond

Where Ive sourced crowds
Industry
Research
Esp Psycholinguistics Munro et al 2010)
Social development

Daily potential language exposure
On a given day, what is the average number of languages that someone could potentially hear?
How has this changed?
# of languages
Year

Daily potential language exposure
# of languages
Year

Daily potential language exposure
# of languages
Year

Daily potential language exposure
# of languages
Year

Daily potential language exposure
You can make a realtime difference in the life of anyone you can communicate with
We will never be so under-resourced to do this as we are right now
But we can leverage many of the same technologies to crowdsource

Haiti, January 12
Text messaging (SMS) is the dominant form of remote communication in Haiti
The existing emergency response systems failed
Most text messages were getting through
A team of people came together quickly, all connected by Josh Nesbit of FrontlineSMS:Medic, to put together an SMS-based emergency response system
We launched in under 48 hours

The responders dont speak Kreyol
FanmimwennanKafou, 24 Cote Plage, 41A bezwenmanjeakdlo
MounkwensenanSakreKnanPtoprens
Ti ekipmanLopital General genyenyopakaminmf 24
Fanm gen tranche pouf yon pititnanDelmas 31

The responders dont speak Kreyol
FanmimwennanKafou, 24 Cote Plage, 41A bezwenmanjeakdlo
MounkwensenanSakreKnanPtoprens
Ti ekipmanLopital General genyenyopakaminmf 24
Fanm gen tranche pouf yon pititnanDelmas 31

• My family in Carrefour, 24 Cote Plage,41A needs food and water
• People trapped in Sacred Heart Church, PauP
• General Hospital has less than 24 hrs. supplies
• Undergoing children delivery Delmas 31