SBIR Phase I: Facial Animation for Communication Enhancement

这个小企业创新研究第一阶段项目来自无缝解决方案公司。使用签名者的头部、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）通信，并且它提供了一种使用可以通过廉价、低带宽信道传输的命令来使这些模型动画化的方法。 该项目的目标是建立在无缝解决方案的目前的研究和开发的远程交流手语的虚拟人表示或化身。 具体来说，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）使唇阅读，和3）增加与头部运动，以加强沟通的重点签署。 这项技术不仅可以提供低成本、远距离的手语交流，还可以在人类和计算机应用程序之间提供更自然、更快速的交互。 在那些将从这项研究中受益的人中，有50多万听力残疾的美国人，他们目前被排除在远距离通信系统之外，无法用他们最具表达力的习语进行交流。 此外，将增强聋人视觉交流的技术也可为听力正常者的交流增添表达。 面部动画可以授权给教育，通信和娱乐软件开发商（包括游戏，基于PC的软件，数字电视和可视电话的开发商）。 这样的许可将导致化身在1）教育多媒体软件; 2）计算机游戏; 3）电视节目;以及4）交互通信中使用，其中今天使用声音。 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，而无需独立创作其行为。

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.