Utilizing Lifelike, 3D Animated

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• Utilizing Lifelike, 3D Animated
• SigningAvatar Characters for the
• Instruction of K-12 Deaf Learners
• Jason Hurdich
• Team Leader, Sign Language Projects
• Vcom3D, Inc.

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Background

• Vcom3D, Inc. is a leader in research and
  development related to the instruction of K-12
  Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (Deaf/HH) students.
• Our SigningAvatar characters provide a striking
  increase in many childrens attention span, their
  level of engagement, and academic results.
• During an evaluation at the Florida School for
  the Deaf and Blind (FSDB), the increase in
  comprehension when shifting from text-only to
  text accompanied by sign language by use of the
  SigningAvatar technology was 17 to 67.

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Research Supporting Sign-to-Text Connections

• Comprehension significantly increased with signed
  pictures connected to text (Wilson Hyde, 1997)
• Comprehension increased from 17 to 67 after
  using sign-enabled content (Sims, 2000)
• Pre-test Deaf/HH students mean score lower than
  hearing students post-test they score higher
  (Vesel, 2004)

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Lifelike, Expressive Avatars for the Instruction
of K-12 Deaf Learners

• NSF SBIR Phase 1 and 2 funded research.
• Goal - To identify signing styles of teachers of
  both genders communicating in American Sign
  Language (ASL) with young students.
• Conducted in partnership with Vcom3D and the
  Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center at
  Gallaudet University.
• Based on the Shared Reading Project principles
  created by David Schleper (1997).

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• For Phase 1, using the developed proof-of-concept
  system, we created an animated version of a
  videotaped story signed by a male teacher, Jason
  Stewart, at Kendall Demonstration Elementary
  School (KDES).
• Vcom3D analyzed the video and wrote an English
  transcript of the story.
• The animated version of the video is 4 minutes of
  a story called The Forest.

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• Our overall objective for Phase 2 is to develop
  an Authoring Tool for creating Animated Signing
  Avatars that act as Virtual Reading Tutors.
• We will use this tool to create exemplar reading
  and language instruction for Deaf/HH students in
  the elementary grades.
• Users need no previous animation experience
  only fluency in sign language.

Sample Interface for Future Sign Smith Studio
Authoring Tool
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Mobile Language Reference for Deaf
Hard-of-Hearing K-12 Students

• U.S. Department of Education Phase 1 and 2 funded
  research.
• Vcom3D will show evidence of the success in
  utilizing mobile devices to make ASL information
  accessible on the go for K-12 students.
• Content includes definitions and explanations of
  idioms, scientific terms, multi-sense and
  unfamiliar terms which Deaf/HH students often
  have trouble understanding.
• Phase 2 is to make Signing Science Dictionary
  accessible via Apple iPod Touch and iPhone as
  seen here.

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Research Projects with TERC

• TERC, in collaboration with Vcom3D, used
  SigningAvatar accessibility software to create
  Signing Science Dictionary and Pictionary, and
  Signing Math Dictionary (in 2009).
• Illustrated interactive 3D sign language
  dictionary for young Deaf/Hard of Hearing
  children.
• Funded in part by National Science Foundation,
  NEC Foundation of America, and the U.S.
  Department of Education.
• Resource for teachers at school and parents at
  home.
• Expanding product line!

Signing Science Dictionary (3rd- 8th Grades)
Signing Science Pictionary (PreK-2nd)
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Sign Smith Studio 3.0The ONLY sign language
authoring tool that gives you the ability to add
SigningAvatar characters to your digital content
easily! The characters sign your content and
make it accessible to your students or anyone who
could benefit from sign language.
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Sign Smith Studio 3.0

• Benefits
• Saves time and money
• Create curriculum-specific, platform independent
  content
• No software animation experience needed
• Make changes in seconds unlike video
• Features
• Ten characters
• Coordinated facial expressions, signs and
  mouthing
• Automatic translation of over 10,000 English
  words
• Disambiguation for multiple meaning words
• 5 concurrent behaviors to synchronize for natural
  signing
• Export to Apple QuickTime Microsoft Windows
  MediaTM
• Use the exported videos in literacy and
  multimedia programs that support these formats

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Gesture Builder 2.0

• No animation experience is required!
• Applicable tool for creating specialized sign
  language content
• Full index of hand shapes based on the ASL manual
  alphabet
• Signs created using Gesture Builder can be
  imported into Sign Smith Studio and reused on any
  of the SigningAvatar characters.

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ASL Animations Volumes 1-5
The ONLY ready-made animated sign language
resource that you can start using right away!
Now with more than 1,200 signs that represent
1,600 English words!

• FEATURES
• Animated GIFs and MOVs
• Compatible with Mac and PC
• Choose from single-play and multi-looped
  animations
• Use in multimedia and literacy programs
  (IntelliTools Classroom Suite, Clicker 5,
  Kurzweil 3000 for Windows, SoftTouch products),
  PowerPoint and more!

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Sign Smith ASL on iTunes

• Introducing the best way to learn American Sign
  Language on the new iPhone and iPod Touch App
  Store!
• SSASL Lite is FREE to download and contains 20
  basic signs.
• SSASL Essential is 1.99 to download and contains
  100 basic signs including the manual ASL
  Alphabet.
• SSASL Ultimate is 29.99 and contains all 1,200
  signs from ASL Animations.
• Great reviews and more than 25,000 downloads in
  one month!

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Settings page lets you set volume and number of
loops
Signs listed by Categories and Alphabetically
Includes written word and voice over
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Signing Science Dictionary

• The only illustrated interactive 3D sign language
  science dictionary.
• Designed for students who are Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing
  and use American Sign Language (ASL) or Signed
  English (SE) in the classroom.
• Great resource for teachers and parents.
• The SSD supports access to standards-based
  science content among elementary and middle
  school students.
• FEATURES 1,300 science terms and definitions
  All text available in ASL and SE Most terms
  contain an illustration Use at school and at
  home

NEW PRODUCT
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For More Information
Jason Hurdich Team Leader, Sign Language
Projects jasonh_at_vcom3d.com
Cindy Barson Manager Sign Smith Product Line
407-737-8488 x121 cindyb_at_vcom3d.com