To coincide with Te Wiki o te Reo M·ori, Spark and Te Aka M·ori Dictionary have launched Kupu, an interactive mobile app powered by Google that helps people learn Te Reo M·ori translations by exploring the objects around them.
Kupu is really easy to use. Users simply take a picture, Kupu will then use image recognition to identify what the object is in the picture and provide Te Reo M·ori translations for the object(s).
From today, Kupu is available for download free from the Google Play Store and the iOS App Store.
Spark, Te Aka and Google have launched the app to support the revitalisation of Te Reo M·ori, showcasing how digital platforms that are accessible, interactive and fun for all New Zealanders can be truly useful for our national language.
Lisa Paraku, Spark Business Manager – M·ori, says Spark wants to get more people engaged and using Te Reo M·ori every day, and would love every New Zealander to have a tool in their pocket to help them learn Te Reo M·ori.
'We see the M·ori language and culture as special and unique to New Zealand, so we want to play a small role in helping Te Reo M·ori prosper through the use of digital platforms,' says Paraku.
'It has been very humbling to work with a project team of technology experts and trusted M·ori advisors to create an app which will add to the growing plethora of resources that support the revitalisation of our national taonga – Te Reo M·ori.
'Te Aka M·ori Dictionary have brought mana and a pool of invaluable knowledge which has guided the project from concept through to creation and having Google on board means we were able to rely on state of the art technology to make Kupu a reality.'
Dr. Dean Mahuta, Senior Lecturer at AUT and M·ori language researcher at Te Ipukarea, the National M·ori Language Institute, has been a key advisor on the Kupu project – working alongside Te Aka M·ori Dictionary and Spark to ensure Kupu showcases Te Reo M·ori correctly.
'Using technology and digital platforms is a great way to encourage the use and learning of Te Reo M·ori. Te Aka M·ori Dictionary has over 300,000 visitors to its website per month, with over 50% of those visitors being new users.'
'There are some amazing resources for learning Te Reo M·ori, including books, websites and apps. However, this is the first learning tool to translate pictures in real-time. It's an evolution of the resources that are out there.
'We hope Kupu will get everyone excited about exploring and learning Te Reo M·ori, so we're excited to share Kupu with New Zealand.'
Kupu uses Google Cloud Vision backed by Te Aka M·ori Dictionary data, powered by Google's Artificial Intelligence technology.
'We aim to inspire New Zealanders to explore Te Reo M·ori and encourage them to add more Te Reo words to their everyday vocabularies,' says Tara McKenty, a creative director at Google.
'It would be amazing if, as a nation, we could learn together through an immersive interactive experience – one picture and translation at a time. Just learning a single word each day can collectively have a huge and lasting impact on our collective knowledge of Te Reo M·ori.'
Kupu is made with Google technology that's constantly learning and iterating. The app will improve its existing translations with the moderated feedback it receives over time. The project team is also working with Te Aka M·ori Dictionary to increase the accuracy of Google Translate.
