Being able to access information in British Sign Language (BSL) is often of great benefit to BSL users. However, it is not always possible to use video streaming or video clips. In order to make BSL content available in those circumstances, RNID has for many years been developing virtual signing technologies.
Virtual signers, also known as signing avatars, are computer generated animations. They can resemble human beings, but could also take any other shape, similar to other computer animations. One possible application for this technology is to use these avatars to sign content in British Sign Language on websites, personal computers or handheld devices.
This is important, because video images of real human signers are sometimes impossible because of technical limitations. This is where virtual signing might be used to provide BSL content where otherwise that would be impossible.
RNID does not see virtual signers as a replacement for human based signing. Human based signing will be more natural and easier to read. But avatars can be a complementary technology so that we can provide information in BSL where this would not be possible otherwise.
British Sign Language (BSL) is the first or preferred language of over 50,000 people in the UK. BSL was recognised as the 4th official British language in the UK in 2003. BSL is very different to English and people who have use BSL as a first language can struggle with written English, as it is a second language. BSL has no written form so the only way to present signed content is through video or computer animation.
Computer generated images have developed steadily over the last few decades, not in the least by the movie industry where the special effects have become more spectacular and of better quality as computers have become more powerful. In recent times, avatars have become more commonplace in computer games. People are becoming more used to them and every new generation of the technology delivers better quality and more powerful possibilities.
RNID identified very early the opportunities that such computer generated animations could offer for creating sign language content and has been involved in ground-breaking research and development in the domain for many years.
In addition to our technological expertise and knowledge, we also employ deaf people who are native signers and who have studied the linguistics of British Sign Language. This gives us a unique mix of talent especially suited for this challenge of virtual signing.
More coming soon...