Modeling and generating sign language as animated line drawings

This paper introduces an application for creating words and sentences of sign language as animated gesture sequences. A gesture is composed of the left and right hand sign, a body movement and a facial expression. We propose a technique for generating gestures as line drawings. Using line drawings allows us to run the application with simple 3D models without loss of essential information while achieving images which can be transferred very quickly over a network. Furthermore, the images resemble those used in printed teaching materials for sign language.