[games_access] Technique links words to signing

["~:'' ありがとうございました。"]

Eelke,

there maybe many sign languages for each region or spoken language,  
for instance BSL and ASL and Makaton are just 3 "English" sign  
languages, also there are regional and even local or personal versions.
Furthermore, literal translation is almost useless, as each grammar  
may be very different.

Naturally not everyone can read, so text isn't necessarily helpful.

fwiw this is not an area I have much expertise in, but this much I do  
know.

regards

Jonathan Chetwynd
Accessibility Consultant on Media Literacy and the Internet



On 17 Sep 2007, at 01:00, Eelke Folmer wrote:

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:
>
>
>
> 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."
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Via BBC:
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6993326.stm
> _______________________________________________
> games_access mailing list
> games_access at igda.org
> http://seven.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/games_access
>
>


-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
----
Eelke Folmer                           Assistant Professor
Department of CS&E/171
University of Nevada              Reno, Nevada 89557
Game interaction design        www.helpyouplay.com
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
----
_______________________________________________
games_access mailing list
games_access at igda.org
http://seven.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/games_access