A Kinect Game in the VirtualSign Project: Training and Learning with Gestures

This paper presents the development of a game aimed at making the process of learning sign language enjoyable and interactive, using the VirtualSign Translator. In this game the player controls a character that interacts with various objects and non-player characters with the aim of collecting several gestures from the Portuguese Sign Language. Through the connection with VirtualSign Translator the data gloves and Kinect support this interaction and the character can then represent the gestures. This allows for the user to visualize and learn or train the various existing configurations of gestures. To improve the interactivity and to make the game more interesting and motivating, several checkpoints were placed along game levels. This provides the players with a chance to test the knowledge they have acquired so far on the checkpoints, after performing the signs using Kinect. A High Scores system was also created, as well as a History option, to ensure that the game is a continuous and motivating learning process.