SLUniverse Forums

Troy Vogel · 11-01-2007, 05:23 PM

Is anyone doing anything like a HUD, or balloon over avatar kind of display for sign language in SL?

I know that people can read the text, but what if we wanted to teach sign language and needed a tool that listened to chat and translated to sign language in the form of series of clear traffic sign like hand sign pictures.

It could even be a presentation board that does this. Much like those presentation that listen to chat and display text, could someone, has someone made one that displays sign language?

WarKirby Magojiro · 11-01-2007, 05:26 PM

It would certainly have to be pictures, seeing as SL#'s hand animation is pretty useless.

Oneironaut Escher · 11-01-2007, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Troy Vogel

Is anyone doing anything like a HUD, or balloon over avatar kind of display for sign language in SL?

I know that people can read the text, but what if we wanted to teach sign language and needed a tool that listened to chat and translated to sign language in the form of series of clear traffic sign like hand sign pictures.

It could even be a presentation board that does this. Much like those presentation that listen to chat and display text, could someone, has someone made one that displays sign language?

I had begun playing with this idea. I think you would want to just actually use avatar animations, and then for the more detailed hand formations, use 'oversized hand' attachments on the avatars hands that become visible as needed.

I could never track down a good repository of ASL animations though. I really think there should be one already in existance.

I know many in the deaf community would really want this. Especially for people deaf from birth - the structure of ASL is grammatically different enough from English that oftentimes they find writing and reading in English difficult, or at the very least, less comfortable than sign language.

I'd be willing to work with you on the project if you move forward. This is actually an idea I had that predated SL (back when I was learning sign language) that would have required making a character animation system. SL now has everything in place that would be required.

Troy Vogel · 11-01-2007, 05:36 PM

ok I will try to track down a good set of ASL images through the Communication Disorders department at my university. I think this would be a great project to push through our Virtual Campus initiative -- one that not only looks good on paper but also explicitly provides something very useful for a group of individuals who can use the help.

I am on it.

In the meantime if anyone else has leads, please let post them into this thread to keep things organized.

Thanks :-)

Troy Vogel · 11-01-2007, 05:37 PM

BTW, I just found this URL, I will add a few more as I google this stuff:

http://commtechlab.msu.edu/Sites/aslweb/browser.htm

oh this one is good... scroll down for the drawings:
http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/topics/wallpaper1.htm

Ooo I like though not as clear as the previous two:
http://anglee.org/proj/ASL/ASL.jpg

Oneironaut Escher · 11-01-2007, 06:31 PM

I like the idea of using images, but if we were to be able to find .bvh animation files, I think that would be better. I could do the 'fake hand' hand attachments that would be needed to provide the detail that the current hands couldn't provide.

I hadn't looked at this recently, so I'll look again to see if I can find a free to use or professional solution for ASL .bvh files.

Troy Vogel · 11-01-2007, 06:34 PM

I have been looking at the ASL dictionary. I think the major challenge that I see is, so many of the words require both facial as well as gesture cues and some of the words are very close to each other which in SL will get very blurred because of the lack of subtleties in avatars.

I am still looking and gathering data.

Oneironaut Escher · 11-01-2007, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Troy Vogel

I have been looking at the ASL dictionary. I think the major challenge that I see is, so many of the words require both facial as well as gesture cues and some of the words are very close to each other which in SL will get very blurred because of the lack of subtleties in avatars.

I am still looking and gathering data.

I thought of this as well. True ASL is crazy with the facial expressions to the point of it being a necessary part of the dictionaries. More modern usage of ASL is less about the facial expressions. With those, as well as with the hands, if they were necessary, you could use a 'mask' attachment.

The nice thing about using .bvh with hand attachments is a great number of similar concepts in ASL use the same basic movement, with just a different hand configuration. We could use a single .bvh to represent quite a few different words and ideas.

Decadent · 11-02-2007, 01:17 AM

Every time I see the title of this thread, I'm reminded that Washoe died this week.

11-01-2007, 05:23 PM	#1 (permalink)
Troy Vogel Marginal Resident ZOMG Teddy is sore. More lube next time... Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Austin Texas Posts: 937 SL Join Date: August 2004 Business: Mission Home Store: A Furniture and Prefab store in the Arts & Crafts Style My Mood:	Sign Language in SL? Is anyone doing anything like a HUD, or balloon over avatar kind of display for sign language in SL? I know that people can read the text, but what if we wanted to teach sign language and needed a tool that listened to chat and translated to sign language in the form of series of clear traffic sign like hand sign pictures. It could even be a presentation board that does this. Much like those presentation that listen to chat and display text, could someone, has someone made one that displays sign language? __________________

11-01-2007, 05:37 PM	#5 (permalink)
Troy Vogel Marginal Resident ZOMG Teddy is sore. More lube next time... Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Austin Texas Posts: 937 SL Join Date: August 2004 Business: Mission Home Store: A Furniture and Prefab store in the Arts & Crafts Style My Mood:	BTW, I just found this URL, I will add a few more as I google this stuff: http://commtechlab.msu.edu/Sites/aslweb/browser.htm oh this one is good... scroll down for the drawings: http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/topics/wallpaper1.htm Ooo I like though not as clear as the previous two: http://anglee.org/proj/ASL/ASL.jpg Last edited by Troy Vogel; 11-01-2007 at 05:50 PM.

11-02-2007, 01:17 AM	#9 (permalink)
Decadent the ne'er do-well. Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Dallas. Posts: 3,408 SL Join Date: '04 '06.	Every time I see the title of this thread, I'm reminded that Washoe died this week. __________________ Some day we will look back on all this, laugh nervously and quickly change the subject. -- Tears stream down your face When you lose something you cannot replace Tears stream down your face And I.. Lights will guide you home And ignite your bones And I will try to fix you.

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11-01-2007, 05:26 PM	#2 (permalink)
WarKirby Magojiro Doing stuff Made new armor ^^ Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Glasgow, Scotland Posts: 2,577 SL Join Date: 14/10/2006 Business: MagoTek Industries SLShopper Ads: 1 My Mood:	It would certainly have to be pictures, seeing as SL#'s hand animation is pretty useless.

11-01-2007, 05:36 PM	#4 (permalink)
Troy Vogel Marginal Resident ZOMG Teddy is sore. More lube next time... Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Austin Texas Posts: 937 SL Join Date: August 2004 Business: Mission Home Store: A Furniture and Prefab store in the Arts & Crafts Style My Mood:	ok I will try to track down a good set of ASL images through the Communication Disorders department at my university. I think this would be a great project to push through our Virtual Campus initiative -- one that not only looks good on paper but also explicitly provides something very useful for a group of individuals who can use the help. I am on it. In the meantime if anyone else has leads, please let post them into this thread to keep things organized. Thanks :-)

11-01-2007, 06:31 PM	#6 (permalink)
Oneironaut Escher Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 214	I like the idea of using images, but if we were to be able to find .bvh animation files, I think that would be better. I could do the 'fake hand' hand attachments that would be needed to provide the detail that the current hands couldn't provide. I hadn't looked at this recently, so I'll look again to see if I can find a free to use or professional solution for ASL .bvh files.

11-01-2007, 06:34 PM	#7 (permalink)
Troy Vogel Marginal Resident ZOMG Teddy is sore. More lube next time... Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Austin Texas Posts: 937 SL Join Date: August 2004 Business: Mission Home Store: A Furniture and Prefab store in the Arts & Crafts Style My Mood:	I have been looking at the ASL dictionary. I think the major challenge that I see is, so many of the words require both facial as well as gesture cues and some of the words are very close to each other which in SL will get very blurred because of the lack of subtleties in avatars. I am still looking and gathering data.