SBIR Phase II: Facial Animation for Communication Enhancement

SBIR 第二阶段：用于增强沟通的面部动画

• 批准号: 9901855
• 负责人: Edward Sims
• 金额: $ 39.85万
• 依托单位: VCOM3D, INC.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1999
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1999-07-01 至 2002-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9901855&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; II; Facial; Animation

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will build on the Phase I proof-of-concept demonstration of the use of PC-based facial animations to supplement verbal and sign language communications. Seamless Solutions will develop software tools and animation libraries that will enable users to author and disseminate multimedia content based on this technology. Specifically, the project will (1) expand the "vocabulary" of facial expression animations; (2) develop a Markup Language and authoring tools that enable educators and other potential users to include American Sign Language (ASL) and other visual/gastrula communication in their multimedia content; and (3) develop an Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG-4) interface and integrate the animations with the Sign Language Recognition system being developed at the University of Pennsylvania. MPEG is the international committee developing the standard for streaming compositie synthetic and natural video, audio, and 3D graphics. MPEG-4 is the fourth international communication standard which includes the standard for streaming 3-D virtual humans for applications such as virtual teleconferencing.) This project will build on Seamless Solution's key Animation Engine technology that allows the interactive, real-time composition of synchronized voice, gesture, and facial expression animations. The research plan culminates with classroom evaluation of prototype applications developed by experienced educators of the deaf. Facial animations, synchronized to voice, gesture, and signs, greatly enhance both the realism and the communications skills of computer-generated characters. Seamless Solutions will develop applications of this technology not only for the Deaf, but also for interactive 3-D characters that can be embedded in educational software, in Web pages, and in virtual teleconference applications.

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目将建立在第一阶段的概念验证示范使用基于PC的面部动画，以补充口头和手语交流。 Seamless Solutions将开发软件工具和动画库，使用户能够基于该技术创作和传播多媒体内容。 具体而言，该项目将（1）扩大面部表情动画的“词汇”;（2）开发标记语言和创作工具，使教育工作者和其他潜在用户能够在其多媒体内容中包括美国手语（ASL）和其他视觉/原肠胚通信;以及（3）开发运动图像专家组（MPEG-4）接口，并将动画与宾夕法尼亚大学正在开发的手语识别系统集成。MPEG是一个国际委员会，它制定了合成和自然视频、音频和3D图形的流标准。 MPEG-4是第四个国际通信标准，其中包括用于虚拟电话会议等应用程序的流式3D虚拟人的标准。 该项目将建立在Seamless Solution的关键动画引擎技术之上，该技术允许同步语音、手势和面部表情动画的交互式实时合成。研究计划的高潮与课堂评估的原型应用程序开发的经验丰富的聋人教育工作者。 与声音、手势和手势同步的面部动画大大增强了计算机生成角色的真实感和沟通技巧。 Seamless Solutions将开发这项技术的应用程序，不仅适用于聋人，还适用于交互式3D角色，这些角色可以嵌入教育软件、网页和虚拟电话会议应用程序中。