What constraints for representing multilinearity in Sign language?

International audienceIn this paper, we present our current investigations on one of the main challenges in Sign Language modelling: multilinearity. We explain the way in which we extract grammatical rules from Sign Language corpus, and how we represent them with constraints. Two kinds are needed: time synchronisation and geometric constraints

Non-manual features: the right to indifference

International audienceThis paper discusses the way Sign Language can be described with a global account of the visual channel, not separating manual articulators in any way. In a first section section it shows that non-manuals are often either ignored in favour of manual focus, or included but given roles that are mostly different from the mainly hand-assigned lexical role. A second section describes the AZee model as a tool to describe Sign Language productions without assuming any separation, neither between articulators nor between grammatical roles. We conclude by giving a full AZee description for one of the several examples populating the paper

Aspect-Oriented Programming

Aspect-oriented programming is a promising idea that can improve the quality of software by reduce the problem of code tangling and improving the separation of concerns. At ECOOP'97, the first AOP workshop brought together a number of researchers interested in aspect-orientation. At ECOOP'98, during the second AOP workshop the participants reported on progress in some research topics and raised more issues that were further discussed. \ud \ud This year, the ideas and concepts of AOP have been spread and adopted more widely, and, accordingly, the workshop received many submissions covering areas from design and application of aspects to design and implementation of aspect languages

A rule triggering system for automatic text-to-sign translation

International audienceThe topic of this paper is machine translation (MT) from French text to French Sign Language (LSF). After arguing in favour of a rule-based method, it presents the architecture of an original MT system, built on two distinct efforts: formalising LSF production rules and triggering them with text processing. The former is made without any concern for text or translation and involves corpus analysis to link LSF form features to linguistic functions. It produces a set of production rules which may constitute a full LSF production grammar. The latter is an information extraction task from text, broken down in as many subtasks as there are rules in the grammar. After discussing this architecture, comparing it to the traditional methods and presenting the methodology for each task, the paper present the set of production rules found to govern event precedence and duration in LSF, and gives a progress report on the implementation of the rule triggering system. With this proposal, it is also hoped to show how MT can benefit today from Sign Language processing

Multi‐speaker experimental designs: Methodological considerations

Research on language use has become increasingly interested in the multimodal and interactional aspects of language – theoretical models of dialogue, such as the Communication Accommodation Theory and the Interactive Alignment Model are examples of this. In addition, researchers have started to give more consideration to the relationship between physiological processes and language use. This article aims to contribute to the advancement in studies of physiological and/or multimodal language use in naturalistic settings. It does so by providing methodological recommendations for such multi-speaker experimental designs. It covers the topics of (a) speaker preparation and logistics, (b) experimental tasks and (c) data synchronisation and post-processing. The types of data that will be considered in further detail include audio and video, electroencephalography, respiratory data and electromagnetic articulography. This overview with recommendations is based on the answers to a questionnaire that was sent amongst the members of the Horizon 2020 research network ‘Conversational Brains’, several researchers in the field and interviews with three additional experts.H2020 Marie Skłodowska‐Curie Actions http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100010665Peer Reviewe

Motion control and synchronisation of multi-axis drive systems

Motion control and synchronisation of multi-axis drive system

AN INVESTIGATION INTO AN EXPERT SYSTEM FOR TELECOMMUNICATION NETWORK DESIGN

Many telephone companies, especially in Eastern-Europe and the 'third world', are developing new telephone networks. In such situations the network design engineer needs computer based tools that not only supplement his own knowledge but also help him to cope with situations where not all the information necessary for the design is available. Often traditional network design tools are somewhat removed from the practical world for which they were developed. They often ignore the significant uncertain and statistical nature of the input data. They use data taken from a fixed point in time to solve a time variable problem, and the cost formulae tend to be on an average per line or port rather than the specific case. Indeed, data is often not available or just plainly unreliable. The engineer has to rely on rules of thumb honed over many years of experience in designing networks and be able to cope with missing data. The complexity of telecommunication networks and the rarity of specialists in this area often makes the network design process very difficult for a company. It is therefore an important area for the application of expert systems. Designs resulting from the use of expert systems will have a measure of uncertainty in their solution and adequate account must be made of the risk involved in implementing its design recommendations. The thesis reviews the status of expert systems as used for telecommunication network design. It further shows that such an expert system needs to reduce a large network problem into its component parts, use different modules to solve them and then combine these results to create a total solution. It shows how the various sub-division problems are integrated to solve the general network design problem. This thesis further presents details of such an expert system and the databases necessary for network design: three new algorithms are invented for traffic analysis, node locations and network design and these produce results that have close correlation with designs taken from BT Consultancy archives. It was initially supposed that an efficient combination of existing techniques for dealing with uncertainty within expert systems would suffice for the basis of the new system. It soon became apparent, however, that to allow for the differing attributes of facts, rules and data and the varying degrees of importance or rank within each area, a new and radically different method would be needed. Having investigated the existing uncertainty problem it is believed that a new more rational method has been found. The work has involved the invention of the 'Uncertainty Window' technique and its testing on various aspects of network design, including demand forecast, network dimensioning, node and link system sizing, etc. using a selection of networks that have been designed by BT Consultancy staff. From the results of the analysis, modifications to the technique have been incorporated with the aim of optimising the heuristics and procedures, so that the structure gives an accurate solution as early as possible. The essence of the process is one of associating the uncertainty windows with their relevant rules, data and facts, which results in providing the network designer with an insight into the uncertainties that have helped produce the overall system design: it indicates which sources of uncertainty and which assumptions are were critical for further investigation to improve upon the confidence of the overall design. The windowing technique works by virtue of its ability to retain the composition of the uncertainty and its associated values, assumption, etc. and allows for better solutions to be attained.BRITISH TELECOMMUNICATIONS PL

Accessibility at Film Festivals: Guidelines for Inclusive Subtitling

In today's media-dominated world, the imperative for accessibility has never been greater, and ensuring that audiovisual experiences cater to individuals with sensory disabilities has become a pressing concern. One of the key initiatives in this endeavour is inclusive subtitling (IS), a practice rooted in the broader contexts of subtitling for the deaf and hard of hearing (SDH/CC), audiovisual translation studies (AVTS), media accessibility studies (MAS), and the evolving field of Deaf studies (DS). This study aims to offer a comprehensive exploration of how inclusive subtitling contributes to fostering accessible and inclusive audiovisual experiences, with a particular focus on its implications within the unique environment of film festivals. To gain a holistic perspective of inclusive subtitling, it is essential to examine its lineage in relation to analogous practices, which is the focus of the first chapter. Inclusive subtitling is an extension of SDH/CC, designed for individuals with hearing impairments, and SDH/CC, in turn, is a nuanced variation of traditional subtitling extensively explored within the realm of AVTS. To encapsulate the diverse techniques and modalities aimed at making audiovisual content universally accessible, the study recognises the term "Audiovisual Accessibility" (AVA). The second chapter explores the interconnection of accessibility studies (AS), AVTS, and MAS, highlighting their symbiotic relationship and their role in framing inclusive subtitles within these fields. These interconnections are pivotal in shaping a framework for the practice of inclusive subtitling, enabling a comprehensive examination of its applicability and research implications. The third chapter delves into Deaf studies and the evolution of Deafhood, which hinges on the history and culture of Deaf individuals. This chapter elucidates the distinction between ‘deafness’ as a medical construct and ‘Deafhood’ as a cultural identity, crucial to the understanding of audiovisual accessibility and its intersection with the Deaf community's perspectives. In the fourth chapter, the focus turns to the exploration of film festivals, with a specific emphasis on the crucial role of subtitles in enhancing accessibility, particularly when films are presented in their original languages. The chapter marks a critical point, highlighting the inherent connection between subtitles and the immersive nature of film festivals that aspire to promote inclusivity in the cinematic experience. The emphasis on inclusivity extends to the evolution of film festivals, giving rise to more advanced forms, including accessible film festivals and Deaf film festivals. At the core of the chapter is a thorough examination of the corpus, specifically, the SDH/CC of films spanning the editions from 2020 to 2023 of two highly significant film festivals, namely BFI Flare and the London Film Festival. The corpus serves as the foundation upon which my research unfolds, providing a nuanced understanding of the role subtitles play in film festival contexts. The main chapter, chapter five, thoroughly analyses the technical and linguistic aspects of inclusive subtitling, drawing insights from the Inclusive Subtitling Guidelines - a two version document devised by myself - and offering real-world applications supported by a case study at an Italian film festival and another case study of the short film Pure, with the relevant inclusive subtitles file annexed. In conclusion, the research sets the stage for a comprehensive exploration of inclusive subtitling's role in ensuring accessible and inclusive audiovisual experiences, particularly within film festivals. It underscores the importance of accessibility in the world of audiovisual media and highlights the need for inclusive practices to cater to diverse audiences

Going beyond archiving - a collaborative tool for typological research

The work described in this paper aims to outline some of the design aspects for a collaborative tool for typological research. This tool is designed to allow for the collation, from multiple contributors, of linguistic examples and their analysis with regards to an open set of variation dimensions of both onomasiological and semasiological nature. The resulting knowledge base combines linguistically relevant categories of human conceptualisation (e.g. in-group, such as ethnic or family group, categories) together with their linguistic coding (e.g. in gender affixes, verbal agreement), all based on actual linguistic examples from diverse natural languages as its underlying data-driven foundation. The system is based on Semantic Web technology and hence can be queried in a flexible way that allows for combining any variation dimensions within a query (e.g. it allows to answer questions such as which languages exhibit joint attention marking by way of verbal suffixing). We will focus on design aspects relating to sustainable data. How can sustainable data for such a project be delimited? Surely, this encompasses commonly accepted aspects such as standards conformity, longevity, and accessibility, which we will address in the paper. Additionally and in particular, however, we will argue that user orientation and involvement is a critical factor. Following on from this, the tool is designed in a way that it (i) does not require linguistic users to be trained extensively in system usage, (ii) allows linguists to deploy their standard methods of data entry (e.g. interlinear glossing), and (iii) provides contributors with immediate integration of their own with previously entered data and access to the resulting analysis (i.e. querying) and research potential. The paper will roughly be structured as follows: We will describe the background and aims of the project, and contextualise it in relation to other similar projects. We will then concentrate on how sustainability is addressed, discussing a number of different facets of sustainability. This includes data storage formats, user interface and workflow modelling, knowledge base design, and system features (in particular system output). We will also outline some problems that have arisen so far and close with an outlook on future development.PARADISEC (Pacific And Regional Archive for Digital Sources in Endangered Cultures), Australian Partnership for Sustainable Repositories, Ethnographic E-Research Project and Sydney Object Repositories for Research and Teaching