Project description:

The project falls within the GTI's research line on the generation of virtual signers. Within this line, the GTI has mainly created Animics and Performs to generate, edit, and customize sign language animations, both from video—which can be of webcam quality—and from phonological descriptions.

In addition to improving the implementation of functionalities, supporting the formalization of grammars and connecting with Signbank-type dictionaries would be important stages in this research. Given the current lack of a standard sign language description system, tools for parsing alternative phonological descriptions into the extended BML used by Animics also play an important role.

Advances in this regard could help generate resources to progress toward a medium-term goal: the machine learning of phonological descriptions. These improvements can be incorporated into two externally funded projects currently being prepared by the GTI, which are related to Catalan and Valencian sign languages.

Main research field: Computer graphics





Tasks to be performed:

Within the aforementioned framework, an immediate key task is to develop a "parser" for the non-standard phonological descriptions of the approximately 4,000 files that are already part of the preparation for a Catalan Sign Language (LSC) dictionary. This dictionary is currently being developed by the Institut d'Estudis Catalans and UPF's LSC-Lab, and the GTI has already created the Signbank software for it within the framework of the VSLT project (Maria de Maeztu, Department of Engineering). Likewise, initiating the transformation of Animics to enable connections with grammatical representations and dictionaries is also a priority

Group and complement: Group 3 + Level n

Dedication and working hours: Part time (17.5 h/week).

Planned remuneration approx: 16.704,08 € gross per year

Financing fund: RECEU00722 - Segment RECERCA EUROPA

📌 ENG-PSR--31 - Specialist support technician: (Barcelona)
🏢 Pompeu Fabra University
📍 Barcelona