Rapid construction of a web-enabled medical speech to sign language translator using recorded video

Abstract

We describe an experiment in which sign-language output in Swiss French Sign Language (LSF-CH) and Australian Sign Language (Auslan) was added to a limited-domain medical speech translation system using a recorded video method. By constructing a suitable web tool to manage the recording procedure, the overhead involved in creating and manipulating the large set of files involved could be made easily manageable, allowing us to focus on the interesting and non-trivial problems which arise at the translation level. Initial experiences with the system suggest that the recorded videos, despite their unprofessional appearance, are readily comprehensible to Deaf informants, and that the method is promising as a simple short-term solution for this type of application.