Visual Communications and Technology Education Faculty Publications

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Computer-generated three-dimensional animation holds great promise for synthesizing utterances in American Sign Language (ASL) that are not only grammatical, but well tolerated by members of the Deaf community. Unfortunately, animation poses several challenges stemming from the necessity of grappling with massive amounts of data. However, the linguistics of ASL can aid in surmounting the challenge by providing structure and rules for organizing animation data. An exploration of the linguistic and extra linguistic behavior of the brows from an animator’s viewpoint yields a new approach for synthesizing nonmanuals that differs from the conventional animation of anatomy and instead offers a different approach for animating the effects of interacting levels of linguistic function. Results of formal testing with Deaf users have indicated that this is a promising approach.

Publisher's Statement

For permission to re-publish this article or any item therein, please contact the publisher directly.

Publication Date

2011

Publication Title

Sign Language & Linguistics; Special Issue: Nonmanuals in Sign Language

Publisher

John Benjamins Publishing Company

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1075/sll.14.1.09wol

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