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In a typical VRI situation, the parties are located together at one location with a web camera and a computer screen. The interpreter works from another location also using a web camera and computer screen. The equipment on both sides of the remote conference must provide video and audio connectivity. The interpreter facilitates communication between the participants and the mode of interpretation in this setting is consecutive.
VRI is a growing field. One popular application is in the hospital emergency room where it is essential that patients and caregivers communicate readily with medical personnel, but it may take time for a live interpreter to arrive onsite. Hospitals with VRI capability can connect with a remote interpreter quickly and conduct triage and intake surveys with the patient or caregiver without significant delay. Also, employees who work in office settings are increasingly converting to VRI services to accommodate brief interactions or regular meetings which would be difficult to schedule with an onsite interpreter. Schools and business located in areas not adequately served by existing community interpreters can also benefit from increased access to professional interpreters and save the expense of vendor travel reimbursements.
