[games_access] Technique links words to signing

[Eelke Folmer]

Hi Barrie,

Very interesting but unless you use mechanical puppets to animate the
sign language in a non digital environment, wouldn't it just be easier
to just use text? e.g. render subtitles on a screen? Or am I missing
something here? Is sign language the same for different languages or
is it universal?

Cheers Eelke




On 9/15/07, Barrie Ellis <barrie.ellis at oneswitch.org.uk> wrote:
>
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> A group of students working for IBM develops technology that automatically
> converts the spoken word to British Sign Language.
>
> Technology that translates spoken or written words into British Sign
> Language (BSL) has been developed by researchers at IBM.
>
> The system, called SiSi (Say It Sign It) was created by a group of students
> in the UK.
>
> SiSi will enable deaf people to have simultaneous sign language
> interpretations of meetings and presentations.
>
> It uses speech recognition to animate a digital character or avatar.
>
> IBM says its technology will allow for interpretation in situations where a
> human interpreter is not available.
>
> It could also be used to provide automatic signing for television, radio and
> telephone calls.
>
> 'Disenfranchised citizens'
>
> The concept has already gained the approval of the Royal National Institute
> for Deaf people (RNID).
>
> "RNID welcomes any development that would make the information society a
> more equal place for deaf and hard of hearing people," said the charity's
> director of new technologies, Guido Gybels.
>
> "Sign language users are among the most disenfranchised citizens as a result
> of services and products not being designed with their needs in mind."
>
> But Mr Gybels says there is still a long way to go before such prototypes
> are in everyday use.
>
> IBM runs a yearly initiative called Extreme Blue which invites
> technically-minded and business students to collaborate for 12 weeks.
>
> "We had a profoundly deaf mentor, so he kept a close eye on what was being
> done and checking whether our translation corresponded to real BSL," said
> Maria Vihljajeva, the student who developed the business plan for SiSi.
>
> The students used two signing avatars developed by the University of East
> Anglia.
>
> One of them signs in BSL and the other uses Sign Supported English - a more
> direct translation using conventional syntax and grammar.
>
> Converting SiSi to use other languages should also be straightforward,
> according to Tom Klapiscak, another student who had technical input into the
> project.
>
> "We designed the SiSi architecture in such a way that new translation
> modules can easily be plugged into the system," he said.
>
> "Obviously this would involve the work of creating the translation module
> itself - which is no small task."
>
> Mr Gybels of the RNID says he is "very impressed" with what the students
> were able to achieve in just twelve weeks.
>
> "Creating a system that can actually bridge the gap between hearing people
> who speak English and deaf people who use BSL is very important."
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> Via BBC:
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6993326.stm
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>


-- 
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Eelke Folmer                           Assistant Professor
Department of CS&E/171
University of Nevada              Reno, Nevada 89557
Game interaction design        www.helpyouplay.com
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