ManuAIVI

L294 · AI at work · 2 min

Translate a menu with your phone camera

Point your phone at a menu and AI can read it, translate it and explain the dishes, as long as you double-check anything about allergies.

01 · The idea

Many translation apps and chatbots can now read text in a photo. That reading step is called OCR. Combine it with a chatbot and you get more than a word-for-word translation: you can ask what a dish actually is, whether it is spicy, or what goes well with it.

This works both ways. A visitor in Hà Nội can photograph a menu with bún chả and bánh cuốn, and you can do the same with a menu in Seoul or Bangkok. Ask for a short description of each dish, not just its name.

Photos are where it slips. Handwritten boards, curly fonts and glare make the AI misread words. And a translation can miss an ingredient. If you have an allergy, ask the staff directly. A short phrase card written in the local language helps.

02 · Think of it like this

It is like travelling with a friend who reads the local language quite well. Handy at every meal, but for an allergy you still ask the cook.

03 · Do it now

04 · Quick check

You are allergic to peanuts and the menu translation looks fine. What should you do?

Words in this lesson

See also