HamNoSys to SiGML Conversion System for Sign Language Automation

Abstract Sign language is a visual gesture language. Deaf people use sign language as their main source for communication. They use their hands, face and arms for conveying thoughts and meanings. Sign language is not having any written form and generating signs using video approach is very expensive, so, sign animation is the best solution. Research on Indian Sign Language (ISL) Automation is limited because of lack of Indian Sign Language knowledge and the unavailability of such tools which provide any education for Indian Sign Language. An automation system is designed in which HamNoSys is generated corresponding to the ISL words. HamNoSys is further converted into XML form known as SiGML. A virtual human in tool JA SiGML URL APP takes input as SiGML and generates signs corresponding to the given words. The existing tool available for generation of SiGML is eSIGNEditor which contains a database of words for American and British Sign Language while sign language in India is different from that in America and Britain. So a system is designed to convert the HamNoSys to SiGML, so as to process it further to the SiGML player to animate the signs for ISL words.