gest_ss@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Gavin Stark) (11/26/90)
Index Number: 11967 Here is a good question for you all... Does a computerized ASL dictionary exist? I have seen Sign Friends but I was not impressed with its resolution or speed. My idea is fairly simple.. I would like to see a videodisk (or a set of disks) that would be controlled from say either a Mac or an Amiga and would be able to cross reference related words, show different inflections of signs, show regional differences, etc. A truely complete, and difficult project. If anyone has done, started, or are interested in something like this please send me e-mail, or post a followup. If there is interest I will post a summary. Gavin Stark Student, University of Rochester Rochester, NY -- Gavin Stark gest_ss@uhura.cc.rochester.edu Member, society to promote the non-gender specific nature of the word "dude" "Knowledge is the ability to forget things." Arnold Pizer (Math Professor) Gavin: (person) Reported to be the largest waste of carbon in the universe.
cdvnsp@ritvax.isc.rit.edu (Larry Nehring) (11/28/90)
Index Number: 11972 In article <15870@bunker.UUCP>, gest_ss@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Gavin Stark) writes... >Index Number: 11967 > > Here is a good question for you all... Does a computerized >ASL dictionary exist? I have seen Sign Friends but I was not impressed >with its resolution or speed. > > My idea is fairly simple.. I would like to see a videodisk (or >a set of disks) that would be controlled from say either a Mac or an Amiga >and would be able to cross reference related words, show different inflections >of signs, show regional differences, etc. A truely complete, and difficult >project. If anyone has done, started, or are interested in something like >this please send me e-mail, or post a followup. If there is interest I will >post a summary. > Hey Gavin, Its Larry here! This past summer at the International Congress of Educators of the Deaf (Rochester, NY) the National Technical Institute for the Deaf showed off its Lipreading/Speechreading Videodisk, as accessed by a Mac SE (I believe). As of yet, I know of no other projects where one is being used. I agree that it would be far better than a book dictionary, but it would also have many limitations of the "non-linguistic" parts of ASL. I think that a different approach to organising the ASL videodisctionary would have to be developed, in order to represent the ASL principles (Handshape/Orientation/Movement/Position/etc.) A good starting place would probably be William Stokoe's ASL dictionary (the first of its kind) which used these principles to list signs, as opposed to the standard English Alphabetical. Hope this is helpful Larry Nehring National Technical Institute for the Deaf @ Rochester Institute of Technology (and University of Rochester Grad student) via Chris
peters@ee.udel.edu (Shirley Peters) (11/29/90)
Index Number: 12022 In article <15870@bunker.UUCP> gest_ss@uhura.cc.rochester.edu (Gavin Stark) writes: >Index Number: 11967 > > Here is a good question for you all... Does a computerized >ASL dictionary exist? I have seen Sign Friends but I was not impressed >with its resolution or speed. > > My idea is fairly simple.. I would like to see a videodisk (or >a set of disks) that would be controlled from say either a Mac or an Amiga >and would be able to cross reference related words, show different inflections >of signs, show regional differences, etc. A truely complete, and difficult >project. If anyone has done, started, or are interested in something like >this please send me e-mail, or post a followup. If there is interest I will >post a summary. Funny you should ask. I spent about 2 hours yesterday looking at a sign language dictionary put together by NTID (nat'l tech. Inst. for the Deaf). It runs on a Macintosh using Hypercard. It's being tested right now, and still has a lot of bugs, but it's basically what you asked for. There are a few problems with it, though. It doesn't have anything for regional differences, or inflections. It does have some ASL stuff, but I don't think it's complete in that sense. There are about 9000+ signs, taped from deaf adults and put on 4 video discs, so the images are full color, but with 4 discs you either need 4 laser-disc players, or have to switch them all the time. The speed is very dependent on the computer, and the laser-disc player being used. This is not commercially available yet (if ever.) I have an address for NTID if you'd like it. Now, the reason I was looking at this is that I am in the process (well, alright, just starting) to write my own sign language dictionary. The difference in mine is that it will be backwards. You will look up the 'sign' (location, handshape, motion, etc) and the dictionary will come back with the word or words that it matches. As far as I know, this has not been attempted on a computer yet, so if anyone knows of one, please let me know! Shirley -- +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Shirley Peters peters@udel.edu I'd rather be sleeping! +------------------------------------------------------------------------+