ViSign is developed according to the priority to promote research in emerging and/or rapidly developing areas of information technology whose new solutions/results can have a significant impact on the creation of advanced transformative innovations, while promoting the application of research results and acquired competences through the development of institutional synergies between research and study institutions (KTU) the public sector (LRT) and the development of a science and knowledge society by strengthening communication between institutions. The project will enhance Lithuania’s leadership in Al accessibility research. The research will drive technological breakthroughs in multimodal Al, deep learning and natural language processing fostering new approaches in real-time image synthesis andAl-powered interpretation
The aim – develop the application of advanced technologies by creating a virtual Lithuanian sign language assistant that will translate spoken language or text into sign language in the form of image sequences.
We will implement the following tasks:
1. To analyse existing solutions and methods for speech-to-text and text-to-sign language translation
2. To create a text-tosign dictionary development method and to develop a dictionary of at least 2000 signs
3. To develop a real-time speech-to-sign translator prototype
4. To test a prototype in a live TV broadcast
5. To engage and to involve students into ViSign project activities for their competence’s development by implementing tasks
ViSign will lay ground for better inclusion of 30000 Lithuanian people with hearing disabilities in work environment, education, and civil services. In extreme situations it will ensure that information is available to everyone during live television broadcasts Another direct impact is the development competences of 5 students and future researchers involved in the project. To be involved a high level researcher into KTU team from Agder University.
Project funding:
Research Council of Lithuania, Designated Programme “Information technologies for the development of science and knowledge society”
Project results:
A virtual Lithuanian sign language assistant that will translate spoken language or text into sign language in the form of image sequences.
Period of project implementation: 2026-09-01 - 2028-08-31
Project coordinator: Kaunas University of Technology
Project partners: Viešoji įstaiga "LIETUVOS NACIONALINIS RADIJAS IR TELEVIZIJA"
