From text to sign language: Exploiting the spatial and motioning dimension

In this paper, we address the problem of automatically converting information in the Korean language to one in a sign language as used in Korea. First, we discuss the differences between sign language and natural language, and in particular between the sign language in Korea and the Korean language. Then, we focus on issues that are relevant to the process of converting expressions in Korean into their counterparts in the sign language, including: 1) making explicit elided subjects of expressions in Korean, 2) omitting some expressions in Korean, and 3) reordering some expressions. We argue that it is important to utilize the spatial and motioning dimensionality of a sign language in order to minimize information loss and distortion. We also argue that the right decision to omit, or to merge some expressions in Korean plays a key role in exploiting this dimensionality. Finally, we present a system that converts sentences in Korean into corresponding animations in the sign language as proof of evidence for our claim.