Babyl/OFF, Learning/ON

My favorite project proposal was the Babyl/OFF concept. Their device was a bluetooth ear piece that could pick up directed speech and instantly translate it into the user's native language, in hopes that the device will improve the user's likelihood of not falling behind in a class due to a language barrier. This a very important issue that needs to be addressed and I really liked their approach to it. They also did a really great job of providing the statistics, technology, and science behind their concept so that the audience could understand how this is definitely a possible solution in the future. The only main problems I see arising from this idea is that the actual learning of languages may fade and the machine may not be tuned enough to pick up on the correct speaker so the translations could be inaccurate.
Babyl/OFF takes away the need to learn a language. Instead, it changes the language you hear into the one you understand. This is a great device in the classroom setting because it allows all students to stay at the same pace. However, the downside is that it takes away the real learning of the language, including the reading elements involved in a language. This device is a shortcut to get ahead in class but once they take the ear piece off, the student is back to lagging behind in their day to day life; the crutch is gone. That is why I think the only way to make this device truly effective is to make it a mainstream product not only used in classes but also in anyone's daily routine. It would allow for constant connectivity and no one would feel left behind anywhere they went. The idea of creating Babyl/OFF as a tour guide helper is a great step in the way of helping their system become widespread.
The other problem I foresee with Babyl/OFF is the way in which the speaker is transmitted into the ear piece. Throughout the project it was explained how the device would pick up sounds not directly around the student but rather across the room spoken by a teacher. How is that possible though? It seems like there would be a lot of gray area in that model of just picking up faraway sounds. What if it picked up whispering near the teacher from students and the teacher? The transmission would become jumbled and hard to understand. I am sure one day soon that technology will be here to eliminate the unwanted voices but for now I see that as a problem.
All in all, this was a great project that I hope actually gets out in the real world to help kids. I can definitely see Babyl/OFF as an instrument for good change in the classroom and, hopefully, worldwide.