Signing Avatar Design and Animation Pipeline: A Review of Current Literature and Best Practices

Supervisors: Dr Jessica Korte & Dr. Maria Zelenskaya

Signing avatars are animated digital characters that can communicate messages in sign language. If designed correctly they have the potential to make public spaces more accessible, inclusive and safe for deaf and hard of hearing individuals. This project focuses on capturing Australian Sign Language (Auslan) signs to be used for an automated announcement system on Sydney Trains to provide travel information and emergency announcements to deaf travelers. In a world designed for the hearing population, this technology can positively impact over 16 thousand Australians who use Auslan as their primary language.

This paper reviews the current literature and best practices in designing and animating signing avatars and examples of existing sign language avatar technology. In addition to exploring key design considerations such as Deaf culture concerns, readability of signs, accessibility and aesthetic appeal, the study includes surveys with two groups: Deaf individuals with limited or no prior experience with signing avatars, and Deaf professionals working in sign language technology. These surveys gather feedback on the aspects Deaf people consider important in a signing avatar, as well as any possible concerns they might have about the technology. The study also features a practice-based component, involving a motion capture session with a native signer, processing the recorded data, and testing a workflow for retargeting animations across different avatar models. By integrating technical experimentation with user feedback, this research identifies actionable strategies for future sign language avatar design approaches.