Sign language translation system using pattern recognition and synthesis

Sign language, in which words and sentences are mainly represented by hand gestures, is an important means of communication for hearing-impaired people. This paper describes a new sign language translation system which can translate between Japanese sign language and spoken or written Japanese. In this system, hand gestures are entered into a computer using a glove-based sensing device. The gestures are then recognized and translated into Japanese speech. Conversely, Japanese speech is recognized and translated into sign language expressing in three-dimensional computer graphic animations of sign language gestures.