Development of a CG-animation system for sign language communication between different languages

We developed a system to display animation of sign language for communication between different languages using the lifo language where computer graphics (CG) animations are displayed corresponding to the words of sign language. The demonstration confirmed the validity of the developed system. Since one of the authors is now conducting research in Germany, we are investigating sign language communication using the proposed method by connecting systems in Japan and Germany through the Internet. We are also developing a system communicating between Japanese and Korean, and Japanese and Chinese by using sign language. Since the styles of sign languages are different from language to language, it is necessary to develop dictionaries and translating systems of images of sign language between different languages. Researches on these subjects are now under consideration. We focus on the generation and display of the sign language images corresponding to the meaning of sign language. We are developing such a system to generate sign language image from text and parameter data. Using this system we can translate easily from the text data of sign language into CG animation, resulting in the possibility of efficient communication between different languages using sign language.