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Computer facial animation for sign language visualization

Thesis (MSc)--University of Stellenbosch, 2005.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Barker, Dean
Other Authors: Van Zijl, L.
Format: Thesis
Language:en_ZA
Published: Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University 2012
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access_status_str Open Access
author Barker, Dean
author2 Van Zijl, L.
author_browse Barker, Dean
Van Zijl, L.
author_facet Van Zijl, L.
Barker, Dean
author_sort Barker, Dean
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv Stellenbosch University
description Thesis (MSc)--University of Stellenbosch, 2005.
format Thesis
id oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/50300
institution Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
language en_ZA
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:47:07.138Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
publishDate 2012
publishDateRange 2012
publishDateSort 2012
publisher Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
publisherStr Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
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source_str SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
spelling oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/50300 Computer facial animation for sign language visualization Barker, Dean Van Zijl, L. Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Science. Dept. of Mathematical Sciences. Computer animation Sign language -- Computer-aided design VRML (Computer program language) Computer facial animation system Dissertations -- Computer science Theses -- Computer science Thesis (MSc)--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Sign Language is a fully-fledged natural language possessing its own syntax and grammar; a fact which implies that the problem of machine translation from a spoken source language to Sign Language is at least as difficult as machine translation between two spoken languages. Sign Language, however, is communicated in a modality fundamentally different from all spoken languages. Machine translation to Sign Language is therefore burdened not only by a mapping from one syntax and grammar to another, but also, by a non-trivial transformation from one communicational modality to another. With regards to the computer visualization of Sign Language; what is required is a three dimensional, temporally accurate, visualization of signs including both the manual and nonmanual components which can be viewed from arbitrary perspectives making accurate understanding and imitation more feasible. Moreover, given that facial expressions and movements represent a fundamental basis for the majority of non-manual signs, any system concerned with the accurate visualization of Sign Language must rely heavily on a facial animation component capable of representing a well-defined set of emotional expressions as well as a set of arbitrary facial movements. This thesis investigates the development of such a computer facial animation system. We address the problem of delivering coordinated, temporally constrained, facial animation sequences in an online environment using VRML. Furthermore, we investigate the animation, using a muscle model process, of arbitrary three-dimensional facial models consisting of multiple aligned NURBS surfaces of varying refinement. Our results showed that this approach is capable of representing and manipulating high fidelity three-dimensional facial models in such a manner that localized distortions of the models result in the recognizable and realistic display of human facial expressions and that these facial expressions can be displayed in a coordinated, synchronous manner. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Gebaretaal is 'n volwaardige natuurlike taal wat oor sy eie sintaks en grammatika beskik. Hierdie feit impliseer dat die probleem rakende masjienvertaling vanuit 'n gesproke taal na Gebaretaal net so moeilik is as masjienvertaling tussen twee gesproke tale. Gebaretaal word egter in 'n modaliteit gekommunikeer wat in wese van alle gesproke tale verskil. Masjienvertaling in Gebaretaal word daarom nie net belas deur 'n afbeelding van een sintaks en grammatika op 'n ander nie, maar ook deur beduidende omvorming van een kommunikasiemodaliteit na 'n ander. Wat die gerekenariseerde visualisering van Gebaretaal betref, vereis dit 'n driedimensionele, tyds-akkurate visualisering van gebare, insluitend komponente wat met en sonder die gebruik van die hande uitgevoer word, en wat vanuit arbitrêre perspektiewe beskou kan word ten einde die uitvoerbaarheid van akkurate begrip en nabootsing te verhoog. Aangesien gesigsuitdrukkings en -bewegings die fundamentele grondslag van die meeste gebare wat nie met die hand gemaak word nie, verteenwoordig, moet enige stelsel wat te make het met die akkurate visualisering van Gebaretaal boonop sterk steun op 'n gesigsanimasiekomponent wat daartoe in staat is om 'n goed gedefinieerde stel emosionele uitdrukkings sowel as 'n stel arbitrre gesigbewegings voor te stel. Hierdie tesis ondersoek die ontwikkeling van so 'n gerekenariseerde gesigsanimasiestelsel. Die probleem rakende die lewering van gekordineerde, tydsbegrensde gesigsanimasiesekwensies in 'n intydse omgewing, wat gebruik maak van VRML, word aangeroer. Voorts word ondersoek ingestel na die animasie (hier word van 'n spiermodelproses gebruik gemaak) van arbitrre driedimensionele gesigsmodelle bestaande uit veelvoudige, opgestelde NURBS-oppervlakke waarvan die verfyning wissel. Die resultate toon dat hierdie benadering daartoe in staat is om hoë kwaliteit driedimensionele gesigsmodelle só voor te stel en te manipuleer dat gelokaliseerde vervormings van die modelle die herkenbare en realistiese tentoonstelling van menslike gesigsuitdrukkings tot gevolg het en dat hierdie gesigsuitdrukkings op 'n gekordineerde, sinchroniese wyse uitgebeeld kan word. 2012-08-27T11:33:21Z 2012-08-27T11:33:21Z 2005-04 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/50300 en_ZA Stellenbosch University 87 p. : ill. application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
spellingShingle Computer animation
Sign language -- Computer-aided design
VRML (Computer program language)
Computer facial animation system
Dissertations -- Computer science
Theses -- Computer science
Barker, Dean
Computer facial animation for sign language visualization
title Computer facial animation for sign language visualization
title_full Computer facial animation for sign language visualization
title_fullStr Computer facial animation for sign language visualization
title_full_unstemmed Computer facial animation for sign language visualization
title_short Computer facial animation for sign language visualization
title_sort computer facial animation for sign language visualization
topic Computer animation
Sign language -- Computer-aided design
VRML (Computer program language)
Computer facial animation system
Dissertations -- Computer science
Theses -- Computer science
url http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/50300
work_keys_str_mv AT barkerdean computerfacialanimationforsignlanguagevisualization