On this page: An introduction to eSIGN with FAQs and links to other introductory material.

FAQs
What is the eSIGN Project?
What is a Signing Avatar?
Who can make use of eSIGN software?
How does a Deaf user access a signed website?
Where do I get the eSIGN software?
Where can I see working examples of eSIGN software?
What applications are possible with eSIGN software?
Why is eSIGN software better than videos of signers?
How do I get signing on a web page?
How much will it cost me?
Where can I get a sign language expert to translate my material?
Can translation to sign language be automated?
Could I have a different avatar?
Is there just one sign language?
Why don't Deaf people just read the text?
Couldn't Deaf people use an interpreter instead?
Who are the eSIGN partners?
Where can I get more detailed information about eSIGN?
Who should I contact about any particular aspect of eSIGN?

What is the eSIGN Project?
eSIGN was an EU-funded project whose aim was to provide information in sign language using Avatar software technology. The project has produced software tools which allow website and other software developers to augment their applications with signed versions.

What is a Signing Avatar?
An avatar is a virtual (i.e. 'synthetic') human, which can be displayed and on a computer screen. The word 'Avatar' comes from the Hindu religion, where it means the manifestation of a Hindu deity in human, superhuman or animal form. The word derives from the Sanskrit "Avatara" meaning "descent". The eSIGN project uses a signing avatar, that is, an avatar which is capable of performing sign language sequences, given suitable descriptions of those sequences. These descriptions are expressed in SiGML, the notation for signing avatars which was developed in the (link) ViSiCAST project. The official eSIGN avatar is called virtual Guido, or vGuido for short.

Who can make use of eSIGN software?
Everyone who makes information available to the general public needs to consider accessibility. Thus, eSIGN software is aimed at a range of potential stakeholders. Service providers, technology implementers, sign language translators and computer software engineers all play a part, and of course there are Deaf people themselves as end users.

How does a Deaf user access a signed website?
The user needs to install the signing avatar software in order to view virtual signing. This is offered either as a free download or CD-ROM. Once the signing avatar is installed, the user is equipped to view virtual signing in whatever form a website provides it: in some cases a web page may include the signing avatar directly, while in others the page may include buttons which can be used to invoke the signing avatar on demand. In both cases, the signed content is stored on the server of the provider, and downloaded as required. Once a signed sequence is playing, controls are available allowing the user to pause and resume it as desired.

Where do I get the eSIGN software?
The signing avatar plug-in, which is needed to view signed web pages, is freely licensed and can be downloaded here . The editing tools require a licence for use; this is free for uses such as research, education and non-profit applications. Details of terms for commercial use are available on request.

Where can I see working examples of eSIGN software?

• For DGS (German Sign Language) users, some sections of the State of Hamburg website - see http://gebaerden.hamburg.de
• For BSL (British Sign Language) users, the Deaf Connexions website is partially signed. The site is for a voluntary organisation in Norfolk, UK that supports Deaf people - see http://www.deafconnexions.org.uk.
• For NGT (Sign Language of the Netherlands) users, Gebarennet is a Dutch site for Deaf people - see http://www.gebarennet.nl

What applications are possible with eSIGN software?
We have identified three main areas, although we are always open to new ideas! They are websites, face-to-face/internet conversation, and touch-screen information provision. The technology could be exploited by businesses, banks, post offices, museums and galleries, reception areas and help desks, internet mail order companies, eGovernment organisations, as well as organisations specifically serving the Deaf community.

Why is eSIGN software better than videos of signers?
Sign language can be displayed on web sites using video, and this method is usually satisfactory to Deaf people, especially those who have access to fast internet connections. However, there are some difficulties with this means of providing information:
• Videos must be well-produced and of high quality, which is expensive for the content provider.
• Each time content changes new videos must be made, increasing the costs further.
• There are continuity issues. Making videos consistent, i.e using the same signer, in the same clothing and with the same background, so that signed phrases may be joined together, complicates the content maintenance process.
• Storage and download of videos can also be problematic as video files tend to be large. For home users on dial-up connections the time and cost involved in download of video sequences may be prohibitive.
Virtual human signing, as provided by the eSIGN signing avatar, can thus be a more effective alternative to videos as a means of presenting signed information on the Internet. Since it consists of SiGML files (a form of XML), which are very much smaller than videos, the amount of storage space required on the server is minimal, and download time for the users is very fast.
Virtual human signing can be more user-friendly in other ways: the user can browse more quickly through information, control the speed of signing and change the view angle of the virtual signer, things which are not possible with videos.

How do I get signing on a web page?
A basic five-step outline is provided here. There is also a 'Cookbook' for web developers.

How much will it cost me?
Signed content creation has two basic elements:
* the creation of individual signs, i.e. SiGML descriptions of those signs for performance by the signing avatar, which are placed in a lexicon
* the formation of complete signed sequences, using signs from this lexicon.
Creating a new entry in the sign lexicon takes considerably longer than extracting a sign for use in a particular phrase (hence the lexicon approach). As such, the cost of creating a signed sequence depends on the proportion of the signs which are already available in the lexicon, compared with the proportion that must be created from scratch. The crucial factors therefore are the size of the available lexicon and the subject areas that it covers. Over time, as more content is created and the size of the lexicon is increased, the cost of content creation will fall. The table below gives an indication of the resources required to create new signs, and those required to create signed phrases using available signs, assuming the availability of trained staff with experience of the tools.

Creating a new sign	• Production: approximately 4 signs/hour (average figure, varies according to the complexity of the sign)
Content creation from existing signs	• Two methods     – direct: text to synthetic signs     – indirect: text via SL-video to synthetic signs • Costs about the same: approximately 20 signs per hour
Cost to translate between spoken languages	• Approximately one Euro per line German to Chinese • 21 - 47 Euro per page English to Chinese • 28 - 47 Euro per page English to Swahili The translation for eSIGN content will therefore be a little bit higher.

Where can I get a sign language expert to translate my material?
During the eSIGN project, experienced signers in the three partner countries, have been trained in the use of the eSIGN content creation tools. Please get in touch with an eSIGN partner for further information (in the UK, here; for other partners, here).

Can translation to sign language be automated?
Sadly no, at least, not yet. It would be nice to have text written in, say, English automatically translated into British Sign Language. Unfortunately, the grammar of sign languages is quite different from that of spoken languages. For example, the signing space round the signer's body has a number of grammatical functions for which there are no analogues in spoken language. Thus, the translation task is even harder for sign languages than for translation between spoken languages. Some significant work on sign language translation has been done by some of the eSIGN partners in the ViSiCAST project. In addition, the eSIGN project has developed a simple semi-automated solution for restricted language domains.

Could I have a different avatar?
In principle, yes. It is possible to change the dress, sex and appearance of the avatar to suit, say, your corporate image. However, it is a complex, lengthy, and therefore relatively expensive task.

Is there just one sign language?
No. Most countries have their own. For example, the UK has BSL (British Sign Language), Germany has DGS (Deutscher Gebärdensprache), and the Netherlands have NGT (Nederlandse Gebarentaal). Moreover, there is much local dialect variation. Fortunately, eSIGN technology is capable of rendering signed content in any sign language.

Why don't Deaf people just read the text?
Many people who are born deaf learn sign language as their primary language, and it remains their preferred, or first, language. There is no written form of sign language, so Deaf people have to rely on reading and writing in their second or less-preferred language (e.g. English, German or Dutch). A significant proportion of Deaf people therefore have a strong preference for accessing information in sign language rather than as written text. At present it is not usually possible to access signed information on the Internet. A small number of sites offer video clips, but usually Deaf site users can only access information by reading the text. This can present great challenges for many Deaf people, and is a particular problem in the context of eGovernment sites. The information on such sites may be complex. In addition it is important that Deaf people understand the information correctly in order to access these important services successfully as and when necessary.

Couldn't Deaf people use an interpreter instead?
Human aids to communication, for example sign language interpreters, are regularly used by Deaf people to support communication. This may be during a face-to-face meeting, or to help with tasks that require reading and writing. However, there is a shortage of sign language interpreters. So it is often not possible to gain access to these services, especially at short notice. Interpreter services are also expensive. Although virtual signing will never, and is not intended to, replace human interpreters, or significantly to reduce the demand for them, this technology can provide a readily available alternative, increasing access to information in situations where an interpreter would not usually be an option.

Who are the eSIGN partners?
The project includes partners from the UK, Germany and the Netherlands. Details can be found here.

Where can I get more detailed information about eSIGN?
The PDF document, 'The eSIGN Approach', (1.3MB) provides a comprehensive guide. There is also an online Overview. The eSIGN website has additional material. Papers giving more technical information are accessible from our General Information and Publicity page. Finally, there is a Forum where eSIGN software users can exchange ideas.

Who should I contact about any particular aspect of eSIGN?
The UK details are here. For the Netherlands please contact Margriet Verlinden, and in Germany Thomas Hanke. They will redirect you to the appropriate person if necessary.