SiSi Revolutionizes Sign Language

A new program uses speech technology to simultaneously translate speech into sign language using an avatar.

A new technology has been developed that will let deaf people have simultaneous sign language interpretations of speech in meetings.   Known as SiSi (Say It Sign It), it uses speech recognitionto animate an avatar which uses British Sign Language (BSL) or Sign Supported English.   The new technology was developed by students at the University of EastAnglia working in the IBM Extreme Blue program, which lets students in business and technology work together fora 12-week period.   Although it’s new, SiSi has already won praise from the Royal Institute for Deaf People.   "RNID welcomes anydevelopment that would make the information society a more equal place for deaf and hard of hearing people," said the charity’s director of new technologies, Guido Gybels. "Sign languageusers are among the most disenfranchised citizens as a result of services and products not being designed with their needs in mind."   The students created avatars to work in the two signlanguages, but say they can be readily converted to other sign languages, such as American Sign Language (ASL).