Researchers at Purdue University have created a cell phone application that makes it easier for those who speak English to order off of foreign language food menus.
The application lets a traveler download a region- and language-specific configuration and database that operates without a network connection. Associate electrical and computer engineering professor Mireille Boutin says the results are highly accurate.
She says the application would help people who must follow a medical diet who are often reluctant to travel for fear of putting their health at risk. The system warns people when certain ingredients or nutrients are contained in a dish and displays a sentence for the patron to read to the server.
Researchers say the application can also be used by other portable devices.