SBIR Phase I: Facial Animation for Communication Enhancement

Seamless Solutions，Inc.的这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目使用签名者头部、面部表情和嘴巴的虚拟现实表示来增强口头和/或美国手语(ASL)交流，并提供了一种使用可以通过廉价的低带宽通道传输的命令来制作这些模型的动画的方法。该项目的目标是在Seamless Solutions目前通过虚拟人表示或化身进行手语远程交流方面的研究和开发的基础上再接再厉。具体地说，该项目将探索使用低成本计算机生成的面部动画的可行性：1)表达情感，2)阅读嘴唇，3)通过头部动作来增强手势，从而加强交流。这项技术不仅将提供低成本、远距离的手语交流，还将提供更自然、更快速的人与计算机应用程序之间的交互。在这项研究的受益者中，有50多万听力障碍的美国人，他们目前被排除在长途通信系统中用最具表现力的习语进行交流。此外，同样的技术将加强聋人的视觉交流，也可以为听力正常的人的交流增加表达。面部动画可以授权给教育、通信和娱乐软件开发人员(包括游戏、基于PC的软件、数字电视和视频电话的开发人员)。这样的许可将导致化身在1)教育多媒体软件中的使用；2)电脑游戏；3)电视节目；以及4)今天使用声音的互动交流。当与语音识别、自然语言处理和面部表情识别方面的新兴技术相结合时，化身可以添加到现有媒体中，而不需要独立创作它们的行为。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project from Seamless Solutions, Inc. uses virtual reality representations of a signer's head, facial expressions, and mouth to augment verbal and/or American Sign Language (ASL) communication, and it provides a means to animate these models using commands which can be transmitted over inexpensive, low bandwidth channels. The objective of this project is to build on Seamless Solutions' current research and development in the long distance communication of sign language by virtual human representations or avatars. Specifically, the project will explore the feasibility of using low-cost computer generated facial animations 1) to express emotion, 2) to enable lip reading, and 3) to augment signing with head movements that add emphasis to communication. This technology will not only provide low cost, long-distance sign language communication, but will also supply more natural and rapid interaction between humans and computer applications. Among those who will benefit form this research are the more than 500,000 hearing disabled Americans who are currently excluded from communicating in their most expressive idiom over long distance communications systems. Moreover, the same technologies that will enhance visual communication for the deaf can also add expression to communications for persons with unimpaired hearing. Facial animations can be licensed to education, communications, and entertainment software developers (including developers of games, PC-based software, digital TV, and videophones). Such licensing would result in avatar use in 1) educational multimedia software; 2) computer games; 3) television programs; and 4) interact communications, where sound is utilized today. When coupled with emerging technologies in voice recognition, natural language processing, and facial expression recognition, the avatars can be added to existing media without the cost of independently authoring their behavior.