gitwtfhub

wtf is gemma-translator?

google-gemma/gemma-translator — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-08-13

1,001JavaScriptAudience · developerComplexity · 4/5Setup · hard

TL;DR

A Raspberry Pi kiosk project that translates speech between two people offline, using Google's Gemma model running entirely on the device.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((Gemma Translator))
    What it does
      On device translation
      Voice input and output
      Two person kiosk mode
    Tech stack
      Python
      React
      Gemma model
      LiteRT-LM
    Use cases
      Kiosk translator
      Offline voice demo
      Raspberry Pi project
    Audience
      Developers
      Makers

Code map

Detail Auto

An interactive map of this repo's files and how they connect — its source is parsed live in your browser. Click Visualize to build it.

filefunction / class

Why would anyone build with this?

REASON 1

Build a physical two-person voice translator device for a kiosk or booth.

REASON 2

Run an offline, on-device speech translation demo without an internet connection.

REASON 3

Learn how to combine speech-to-text, a local language model, and text-to-speech into one pipeline.

REASON 4

Deploy a Raspberry Pi kiosk that starts the translator automatically on boot.

What's in the stack?

PythonReactGemmaLiteRT-LM

How it stacks up

google-gemma/gemma-translatorchristina-de-martinez/babel-plugin-glowup-vibesdoorman11991/smallcode
Stars1,0019981,009
LanguageJavaScriptJavaScriptJavaScript
Setup difficultyhardeasymoderate
Complexity4/51/53/5
Audiencedevelopervibe coderdeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you spin it up?

Difficulty · hard Time to first run · 1h+

Needs a Raspberry Pi 5 with 8GB RAM plus a microphone, speaker, and small display.

Wtf does this do

Gemma Translator is a project for building a physical, standalone voice translation device using a Raspberry Pi. It was built with help from Google Antigravity and runs entirely offline once set up, using Google's Gemma 4 language model through a tool called LiteRT-LM to do the actual translation locally on the device, with no internet connection needed afterward. Speech is converted to text and back to speech using a system called Moonshine. The intended hardware is a Raspberry Pi 5 with 8 gigabytes of memory, a microphone, a speaker, and a small screen such as a 480 by 320 pixel display, the kind commonly used in handheld or kiosk style projects. The software includes a web based frontend built with React, styled to look like a retro computer terminal and sized for small screens, along with a Python server that connects the frontend to the translation model. The design supports two people speaking different languages at once, described as two lanes, each with its own rotating list of languages. There are two keyboard modes for controlling it: a single operator mode where one person switches which lane is active and controls everything from one set of keys, and a two person mode where each side has its own dedicated keys so two people can each manage their own language and recording independently. Setup involves running provided scripts that create a Python environment, install dependencies, and download the Gemma model. A separate deployment script automates turning a Raspberry Pi into a dedicated kiosk device, including setting it up to start automatically and display the translator full screen when the device powers on.

Yoink these prompts

Prompt 1
Walk me through the hardware and software setup needed to build Gemma Translator on a Raspberry Pi 5.
Prompt 2
Explain how Gemma Translator chains speech-to-text, translation, and text-to-speech together offline.
Prompt 3
Show me how the two keyboard modes work and how to switch between them.
Prompt 4
Help me deploy Gemma Translator as an autostarting kiosk using the deploy-pi.sh script.

Frequently asked questions

wtf is gemma-translator?

A Raspberry Pi kiosk project that translates speech between two people offline, using Google's Gemma model running entirely on the device.

What language is gemma-translator written in?

Mainly JavaScript. The stack also includes Python, React, Gemma.

How hard is gemma-translator to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated hard, with roughly 1h+ to a first successful run.

Who is gemma-translator for?

Mainly developer.

View the repo → Decode another repo

This repo across BitVibe Labs

Don't trust strangers blindly. Verify against the repo.