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Holographic Signing Avatars for Deaf Education

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E-Learning, E-Education, and Online Training

Abstract

The paper describes the development and initial evaluation of an Augmented Reality (AR) system aimed at improving deaf children’s competence in mathematics. The system allows for creating 3D animated avatars that translate from spoken English to Signed English (SE) in real time. The virtual sign language interpreters, displayed as 3D holograms in a mixed reality environment, can be used in the classroom to translate in real time the math lessons delivered by the teacher, at home to facilitate communication between hearing parents and deaf children, and at home or in the lab when children interact with math digital learning materials. An initial formative evaluation with deaf students, parents and educators supports the usability and usefulness of the AR system.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computer Graphics Technology, Purdue University, 401 N. Grant Street, West Lafayette, Indiana, 47907, USA

    Nicoletta Adamo-Villani & Saikiran Anasingaraju

Authors
  1. Nicoletta Adamo-Villani
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  2. Saikiran Anasingaraju
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nicoletta Adamo-Villani .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

    Giovanni Vincenti

  2. Italian National Research Council, Rome, Italy

    Alberto Bucciero

  3. Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland

    Markus Helfert

  4. University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

    Matthias Glowatz

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© 2017 ICST Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering

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Adamo-Villani, N., Anasingaraju, S. (2017). Holographic Signing Avatars for Deaf Education. In: Vincenti, G., Bucciero, A., Helfert, M., Glowatz, M. (eds) E-Learning, E-Education, and Online Training. Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, vol 180. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49625-2_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49625-2_7

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-49624-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-49625-2

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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