Methodius
Personalised multi-lingual language generation software
Methodius is a project funded by the Scottish Enterprise Proof of
Concept programme.
Potential of technology
We plan to create the world's first multi-lingual personalised
information software company, based on over 8 years of world-class
research at the University of Edinburgh. The company will raise
Scotland's reputation as a leading research centre of excellence in
the crucial human-computer interaction (HCI) sector, and demonstrate
the country's ability to successfully exploit its huge research
capabilities. The foundation European research project, M-PIRO, has already attracted
significant government, commercial and media interest due to its
potential to greatly improve the way people interact with some types
of digital content.
Summary of technology
The M-PIRO software
creates descriptions of museum artefacts automatically, using
information stored in a database. Children, adults and experts all
receive slightly different, personalised, descriptions. The system
also remembers what viewers have looked at before in order to avoid
repetition and to draw comparisons with previously seen
objects. Currently the technology can generate text in English,
Italian or Greek.
Concept to be proven
This ability to present personalised digital data in a variety of
languages has a staggering number of applications across a range of
industries, from education to ecommerce. If the technology is proven
to be scalable - the purpose of the POC application - it may lead to
the formation of an exciting high growth company in Scotland,
generating jobs and numerous externalities benefiting the local
economy. The company will have a significant IP and expertise
advantage, and substitutes will take a considerable time to
develop. Furthermore, the application has enormous value in contexts
where English is not the first language as it allows institutions to
design descriptions in the local language and simultaneously produce
well-crafted English texts. The potential for overseas income is thus
huge.