A Investigation of Cisco Technologies & Access Solutions
- 1. A Investigation of Cisco Technologies & Access Solutions October 25, 2010 1
- 2. Purpose of Today’s Presentation • Provide an overview of the plan of work for the upcoming year • Involve NTID-RIT-Rochester community in the project • Collect names and email addresses of interested persons 2
- 3. Cisco and RIT/NTID • Cisco has supported RIT Information Science and computer programs • Jim Ebenhoch and NTID past president Hurwitz visited Cisco, with introductions to Cisco’s Accessibility, Compliance and Certification office by Len Mudrock ’84 who is a senior software engineer at Cisco 3
- 4. Proposal • Three strands • One year effort • Establish our understanding and areas where we can contribute to Cisco product development • Development of position papers and a call for further research • Deaf perspective 4
- 5. Strands of R&D • Provide Cisco with a deaf perspective on their products and the services they support • Three strands – 911-411-211 Communication – Avatars – TelePresence 5
- 6. Award • From the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, following the recommendation of the Cisco Accessibility Team • To the NTID Center on Access first year of what is anticipated to be a multi-year effort • Approximately $65,000 cash, and $35,000 equipment 6
- 7. But… • TelePresence equipment donation was upped to the equivalent of $300,000! – One 65” HD screen – Three 65” HD screens – System installation and furniture 7
- 8. General Structure of Work • Form teams of RIT/NTID, local and national experts • Conduct a literature review to understand issues • Produce “White Paper” and disseminate for comment • Convene meeting(s) and focus groups • Revise “White Paper” • Produce final recommendations 8
- 10. 911-411-211 Communication • Project Team – Bill Clymer, Project Leader – Gail Hyde, Project Coordinator – Kelly Masters, Focus Group and Evaluation • RIT/NTID experts • External experts • Cisco experts 10
- 11. Issues • Access to Emergency Information and Services through 9-1-1 emergency public safety answering points (PSAP’s) through receipt of text and video • Identify barriers and offer solutions • Next generation 9-1-1 communication • Recognize the “community” of interested persons • Fail safe technology that emergency responders, telecommunication companies, equipment companies and users can accept 11
- 12. Major Tasks • Develop set of issues from literature • Convene focus groups at RIT – Policy – Technology – Users • Literature review & “White paper” • Post and collect comments • Review and comment by experts • Publish final report 12
- 13. Signing Avatar • Project Team – Joe Geigel, Project Co---Leader – Gary Behm, Project Co---Leader – Gail Hyde/Bill Clymer, Project Coordination – Kelly Masters, Focus Group Expert and Writer • RIT/NTID experts • External experts • Cisco experts 13
- 14. Signing Avatar • Goal is to explore: – Possibility of signing avatars, guided by voice-to-text or other input processes, to be used effectively for signing communications support (over videophone, TelePresence or conferencing systems) – Similar to what is provided by live, professional sign language interpreters.
- 15. Signing Avatar • An avatar is a computer representation of a person in the form of a three- dimensional model used in virtual space. • Signing avatar – use of a 3D avatar for displaying signed messages. http://www.vcom3d.com/vault_files/making_forest_asl/
- 16. Applications • Automated sign language translation in public spaces • Education • Remote sign language support – Virtual spaces – Teleconferencing http://www.visicast.co.uk/demo/tessa/tessa_demo.htm
- 17. Idealized Signing Avatar System AVATAR audio Speech to Speech to SL to SL to Text to SL Text to SL text text gestures gestures gestures text Sign language Motion Motion capture capture gestures Live interpreter
- 18. Expertise Required • Sign Language / Linguistics • Current signing Avatar systems • Speech to text • 3D Graphics / Animation – Motion capture (body and hand) – Facial analysis, modeling, and animation • Deaf communities – Cyber/virtual – Educational
- 19. Deliverables • “White Paper” – State of the art – Future possibilities – Identify key questions and challenges – Recommendations • Focus Group Meeting – Discussion among experts in areas previously listed – Refine “White Paper” based on discussions
- 20. TelePresence Evaluation • Goal is to explore: – Possibilities and applications of TelePresence to support communication: • in instructional, laboratory and social environments for students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. • of closed caption, presentation, signing avatars, social networking, and others.
- 21. TelePresence • Telepresence refers to a set of technologies which allows a person to feel as if they were present, to give the appearance that they were present, or to have an effect, at a location other than their true location. http://matthewwall.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c68d853ef01116 • TelePresence makes remote 8a477f0970c-800wi or distant people appear or feel present and part of the local activity by using telematics technology.
- 22. Applications • Education – Classroom and Laboratory • Direct • Indirect – Tutoring / Mentoring • Remotely (different colleges) – Job Interview • Remotely • Social – Networking • Communication Support – Remote Sign language • virtual spaces – Teleconferencing – Closed Captions – Others?
- 24. Expertise Required • Instructors for Deaf / Hard-of-Hearing people • Deaf / Hard-of-Hearing Students (direct and indirect) • Sign Language / Linguistics • 3D Graphics / Animation / Avatar – Motion capture – Facial analysis, modeling, and animation • Communication Support – Closed captions / presentation – Other • Deaf Communities – Cyber / virtual – Educational
- 25. Deliverables • White Paper – State of the art – Future possibilities – Key questions and challenges identified – Recommendations • Focus Group Meeting – Discussion among experts – White paper refined, based on discussions
- 26. Team • Gary Behm, NTID • Wendy Dannels, NTID • Kelly Masters, outside consultant • Gail Hyde / Bill Clymer, NTID If interested in participating in evaluation, send a note to Gary Behm: gwbnts@rit.edu