A Support Tool for Analyzing the 3D Motions of Sign Language and the Construction of a Morpheme Dictionary

The present paper describes a support system for analyzing and notating the three-dimensional (3D) motions of sign language unit of frames that are obtained through optical motion capturing. The 3D motion data acquired involve Manual Signals (MS) and Non-Manual Markers (NMM). The 3D motion data acquired have two basic parts MS and NMM. This system enables users to analyze and describe both MS and NMM, which are the components of sign, while playing back the motions as a sign animation. In the analysis part, being able to step through a motion frame by frame, forward and backward, would be extremely useful for users. Moreover, the motions can be observed from given directions and by a given magnification ratio. In the description part, NVSG model, the sign notation system we propose, is used. The results of the description serve as a database for a morpheme dictionary, because they are stored in SQLite format. The dictionary that enables sign language to be looked up based on the motions and motions to be observed based on the morphemes is the first of its type ever created, and its usability and practicability are extremely high.