Eiji Oohira

Pattern Recognition and Synthesis for a Sign Language Translation System

Abstract Sign language is one means of communication for hearing-impaired people. Words and sentences in sign language are mainly represented by hand gestures. In this report, we describe a sign language translation system which we are developing. The system translates Japanese Sign Language into Japanese text and vice versa . In this system, hand shapes and positions are provided by hand-based input in the form of time series. Then, hand gestures are recognized and translated into Japanese sentences using continuous DP (dynamic programming) matching. Japanese text is translated into sign language by generating three-dimensional computer-graphic animation of sign language gestures.

High efficiency voice coding system

A voice coding system for separating and coding voice information into spectrum envelope information and voice source information, with the intention of compressing the amount of information for efficient coding of vocal audio signals through the control of the voice source information based on the fact that the spectrum envelope information and voice source information highly correlate with each other.

Design support to determine the range of design parameters by qualitative reasoning

We present a new application of qualitative reasoning to design: suggesting valid ranges for design parameters after the structure has been determined. This design step is implemented by using an envisioning mechanism that uses qualitative reasoning to determine all possible behaviors of a system. Our method finds all possible behaviors by envisioning with design parameters whose values are initially indeterminate and with whatever specifications the designer has. If several behaviors are found, the designer selects the ones he prefers. The design-support system Desq (design support system based on qualitative reasoning) is based on an earlier qualitative reasoning system Qupras (qualitative physical reasoning system) with three improvements: envisioning, propagating new constraints on constant parameters, and solving constraint in parallel. Like Qupras, the Desq system can deal with quantities qualitatively and quantitatively. Therefore, if the parameters can be expressed quantitatively, we may be able to determine the quantitative ranges, which are often more useful than qualitative values. >