Now see this: software translates English into ASL

A new software program in development at Chicago's DePaul University aims to give deaf and hearing-impaired people who use American Sign Language that same feeling of comfort in transactional settings, such as airports, medical offices, and hotels. The American Sign Language Project's software translates spoken English into an animated, graphical representation of a woman signing using ASL. The software, which displays ASL signs on a computer screen, and is most effective with short questions and brief instructions. Our goal is to produce software that translates English into ASL for short, predictable communication between the English speaker and the signer.