[games_access] Technique links words to signing

[AudioGames.net]

Hi,

No, like spoken languages, there are different sign languages (English, 
American). I was told that for many deaf people, sign language is the first 
or preferred language, while written language is the second. Text might seem 
the most logical solution from the point of view of non-deaf people, but for 
the deaf text is often just that: a solution. I guess you can compare it to 
the difference between an voice-actor acting out a text and just the text. 
There is just so much more information in the first instance.

Richard



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Eelke Folmer" <eelke.folmer at gmail.com>
To: "IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List" <games_access at igda.org>
Sent: Monday, September 17, 2007 2:00 AM
Subject: Re: [games_access] Technique links words to signing


> 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."
>>
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>>
>> Via BBC:
>> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6993326.stm
>> _______________________________________________
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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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