On the date that celebrates the National Day of the Brazilian Sign Language (LIBRAS), a means of communication used by deaf communities in the country, the Superior School of the Judges of the State of Tocantins (ESMAT) inaugurates the digital platform suite VLibras. The platform, with free access and free content, incorporates inclusion and accessibility tools to the School's portal.
Developed by the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB), the VLibras Suite project is a set of tools for the automatic translation of digital content into Libras that will expand the access of hearing-impaired people to information available through computer resources (internet, e-mail, various documents, applications, digital books, etc.).
In VLibras, the signs (movements) performed by human interpreters are captured on video and digitalized to create a dictionary of signs interpreted by means of a three-dimensional avatar (a virtual figure physically similar to a human being), with the following advantages over similar tools marketed in Brazil: for being an open-source application and free distribution.
The project is non-profit and foresees a free and collaborative model in the style of Wikipedia and Google Translator, whereby Libras interpreters and deaf people will be able to actively participate in the process of building the dictionary, sending suggestions and criticism to improve the quality of machine translation.
For more information about the functionalities, access: VLIBRAS PORTAL
* With information from the Federal Chamber's website.
