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Sign Language Out Loud

Posted by timothy on from the gestures dept.

hcetSJ writes "CNN.com has an article about a glove that reads sign language and can translate to spoken English. Although it's only one-handed now, and can only handle about 200 words, the inventor has further plans for a second hand and wider vocabulary. I wonder if this could be linked with the Rosetta Stone idea, to quickly expand the vocabulary. Also mentioned in the article is the possibility of military use...gaming control can't be far off." grvsmth points to a more detailed article on GWU's website.

7 of 45 comments (clear)

  1. heh by Tirel · · Score: 4, Funny

    I wonder what it says when you're masturbating?

  2. I can see it now... by WildFire42 · · Score: 4, Funny

    /me flips you the bird.
    /me's glove attempts to translate it as "Eagle".
    /me's glove BSOD's.

    Dammit...

  3. not sure how easy this would be... by jfruhlinger · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ASL (and other sign languages) aren't just word-for-word translations of Englis (and other spoken languages); they are true languages with their own unique grammar. Any attempt at an on-the-fly translation would, it seems to me, result in a muddle that would make the Babelfish sound like Shakespeare.

    jf

    1. Re:not sure how easy this would be... by jfengel · · Score: 4, Insightful

      True enough, especially given that interpreting ASL depends on many factors other than hand position (speed, intensity, facial gestures, etc.) Much of that, however, can be communicated effectively even to non-ASL speakers, and serves to enhance a Babelfish-esque translation.

      Just as Babelfish gives me at least a rough idea of what an article in another language says, it would be a substantial boon to an ASL speaker to be able to get at least the gist across to somebody who doesn't speak ASL. And unlike Babelfish, which I only have to use occasionally, most ASL users must communicate with non-deaf speakers essentially every single day.

    2. Re:not sure how easy this would be... by hcetSJ · · Score: 4, Informative

      That's where the Rosetta Stone method could be helpful. A word-for-word translation might be stilted, but by comparing entire sentences, a system might learn that one idiom in one language translates (loosely, at least) to another idiom or phrase in the other.

      --

      This side up.
  4. Facial Expressions by DarkRecluse · · Score: 3, Interesting

    ASL is as much about facial expressions and body language as it is signing...to leave them out is to confuse the meaning of the sign, often completely. Everything is very emotionally charged.

    I would suggest that more people learn sign, because if nothing else it will help them to become more expressive individuals.

    --
    --"It's Bradford Company, slash your last name, dot your first name"
  5. Hands are only half of the language... by Garridan · · Score: 3, Informative

    I studied ASL for 2 years... there's a helluva lot more to the language than hands... and much of the language would be impossible to translate with a computer.

    Facial expression is nearly as important as the hands. "should" and "need" are the same sign, with a slight difference in the shape of the mouth. Its like trying to understand somebody who enunciates poorly, speaks in monotone, and doesn't pause between words or sentences...

    A lot of the language relies on physical description... there's no way a computer could interpret a lot of it.

    At best, this will be able to translate "SEE", or Signed Exact English. Not ASL. There's a HUGE difference. ASL is as different from English as sculpture is different from music.