This is the first of the technology work packages underlying the planned applications described above. It builds upon the experience of virtual human avatars which will soon be commonplace in all communication environments. Individual components of shape and movement may be acquired from life (motion capture of human signers) or constructed in 3D graphic space using physical modelling tools. Tools based on each system will be developed in parallel, evaluated, and deployed as appropriate. For use with the direct recording of signed sequences, the project will develop a refined suite of advanced Motion Capture Tools, forming a single, coherent, capture, recording and replay system, using robust techniques and equipment capable of use in TV studios and other industrial, non-laboratory settings.

Work Package 5: Language and Notation

This is the second of the underlying technology packages. This package will move from the presentation of manually encoded versions of sign language (such as Sign Supported English) generated from text - as in the 'Simon-the-Signer' prototype system previously developed by ViSiCAST participants - to the much more complex problem of describing, encoding, and presenting natural European sign languages, derived from English textual sources. The enabling technology here is a sign language notation already under development by the University of Hamburg, HamNoSys, which will be further developed to give an XML-compatible notation, ViSiCAST-GML. The required lexicons will be developed using this notation.