{
    "paper_id": "J76-1002",
    "header": {
        "generated_with": "S2ORC 1.0.0",
        "date_generated": "2023-01-19T02:51:46.770060Z"
    },
    "title": "American Journal if Computational-Linguistics Microfiche 37 : 23",
    "authors": [
        {
            "first": "Y",
            "middle": [
                "W"
            ],
            "last": "Hoemann",
            "suffix": "",
            "affiliation": {},
            "email": ""
        },
        {
            "first": "I",
            "middle": [
                "A"
            ],
            "last": "Florian",
            "suffix": "",
            "affiliation": {},
            "email": ""
        },
        {
            "first": "Shirley",
            "middle": [
                "A"
            ],
            "last": "Hoemann",
            "suffix": "",
            "affiliation": {},
            "email": ""
        }
    ],
    "year": "",
    "venue": null,
    "identifiers": {},
    "abstract": "Bowling Green S t a t e University Ohio 43403 Stokoe (1960) has d e s i g n e d a model of the structure of t h e American Sign Language (ASL) which is amenable to computer simulation. He has proposed that signs comprising the ASL lexicon are composed of three basic aspects, location (TAB), hand configuration I (DEZ) , and movement (SIG). He has identified a finite number of each of these elements, and he has proposed that they may be combined in various ways to constitute recognizable and meaningful signs. Recent reformulations have vent u r e d some modifications (e. g. , Stokoe, 1972), but the basic approach remains the same. Such a conceptualization of ASL implies that if a computer were furnished a set of each of these types of elements, it ought to Acknowledgments. This investigation was supported by N I H Research Grant NS-09590-05 from the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and S t r o k e. We thank the J. Preston Levis Regional Computer Center, Perrysburg, Ohio, and Charles M. Bernstein, Bowling Green State University, for assistance. Fulton, D. L. A Plasma-Panel interactive graphic system. P r o c e e d i n g s of the S o c i e t y f o r I n f o r m a t i o n D i s p l t a y 15(2) : 7 4-8 0 , 1~1 4. Stokoe, W. C., J r. S i g n Language structure: An outline of the visual communication system of the American deaf. S t u d i e s i n L i n g u i s t i c s , Occasional P a p e r s 8. University of Buffalo Press 1960. Stokoe, W. C. J r. semiotics a n d human s i g n l a n g u a g e s. Mouton, The Hague, 1972.",
    "pdf_parse": {
        "paper_id": "J76-1002",
        "_pdf_hash": "",
        "abstract": [
            {
                "text": "Bowling Green S t a t e University Ohio 43403 Stokoe (1960) has d e s i g n e d a model of the structure of t h e American Sign Language (ASL) which is amenable to computer simulation. He has proposed that signs comprising the ASL lexicon are composed of three basic aspects, location (TAB), hand configuration I (DEZ) , and movement (SIG). He has identified a finite number of each of these elements, and he has proposed that they may be combined in various ways to constitute recognizable and meaningful signs. Recent reformulations have vent u r e d some modifications (e. g. , Stokoe, 1972), but the basic approach remains the same. Such a conceptualization of ASL implies that if a computer were furnished a set of each of these types of elements, it ought to Acknowledgments. This investigation was supported by N I H Research Grant NS-09590-05 from the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and S t r o k e. We thank the J. Preston Levis Regional Computer Center, Perrysburg, Ohio, and Charles M. Bernstein, Bowling Green State University, for assistance. Fulton, D. L. A Plasma-Panel interactive graphic system. P r o c e e d i n g s of the S o c i e t y f o r I n f o r m a t i o n D i s p l t a y 15(2) : 7 4-8 0 , 1~1 4. Stokoe, W. C., J r. S i g n Language structure: An outline of the visual communication system of the American deaf. S t u d i e s i n L i n g u i s t i c s , Occasional P a p e r s 8. University of Buffalo Press 1960. Stokoe, W. C. J r. semiotics a n d human s i g n l a n g u a g e s. Mouton, The Hague, 1972.",
                "cite_spans": [],
                "ref_spans": [],
                "eq_spans": [],
                "section": "Abstract",
                "sec_num": null
            }
        ],
        "body_text": [
            {
                "text": "likely to be nonsense\" in ASL. In our data, the 11 DEZ, 8 TABs, and 7 SIGs yield potentially 11 x 8 x 7 or 616 signs.",
                "cite_spans": [],
                "ref_spans": [],
                "eq_spans": [],
                "section": "AMERICAN S I G N LANGUAGE",
                "sec_num": null
            },
            {
                "text": "Over 600 of them are nonsense. This indicates that most signs in ASL differ from one a n o t h e r i n more than one distinctive feature. Also, since many signs change DEZ and involve more than one SIG, there is a low probability of confusing one sign with another, even when the signs are presented out of c o n t e x t . ",
                "cite_spans": [],
                "ref_spans": [],
                "eq_spans": [],
                "section": "AMERICAN S I G N LANGUAGE",
                "sec_num": null
            }
        ],
        "back_matter": [],
        "bib_entries": {},
        "ref_entries": {
            "FIGREF0": {
                "text": "be able t o compile t h e signs that are composed of the features in its r e p e r t o i r e I t needs t o be emphasized that such a comp u t e r s i m u l a t i o n i s n o t m e r e l y a matter of c a r t o o n i n g , a l t h o u g h t h i s l i e s w i t h i n the c a p a b i l i t y of computer g r a p h i c s t o p o r t r a y . Unit attached to a Nova 1220 minicomputer The Digivue Display Unit is an electronic device with a gasfilled display matrix and activating circuitry. An e l e c t r i c a l signal is passed through each of two very f i n e wires at right angles to one a n o t h e r . When the gas is activated, it lights up at the poiat of intersection. There a r e 512 g r i d lines in each d i r e c t i o n , making a t o t a l of 262,144 addressable points. Points can be written or erased at the rate of 50,000 dots p e r second. The program language used was Graphic Basic, a version of Data General Corporation's time-shared BASIC, modified for use w i t h the Digivue Display Unit (Fulton, 1974). Access to the computer was gained through the Digivue keyboard and through a teletypewriter. Paper tape output from the teletypewriter provided permanent storage of previously written programs. PROCEDURE. AS a concession to storage limitations, t h e p r o j e c t was, a t f i r s t , limited to one-handed signs located on or near the face. An oval shape with stylized browline, nose, and mouth was stored in memory and served a s the reference for any sign which the computer was r e q u i r e d to g e n e r a t e Hand c o~~f i g u r a t i o n s (DEZ) were constructed by j o i n i n g coordinate p o i n t s with line segments. The points were s t o r e d in t h e memory of t h e computer, and g r a p h i c commands were i s s u e d t o form t h e l i n e segments. As a program was f e d i n t o t h e computer, it s t o r e d in memory information about t h e DEZ and t h e initial TAB while t h e face was drawn on t h e screen. Another series of subroutines drew t h e DEZ in its initial TAB and moved it to another TAB so as t o represent a movement (SIG). I f the sign required a change of DEZ, the program could call the new DEZ up from memory and place it in the sign's final p o s i t i o n . V A L I D A T I O N . The adequacy of the simulated signs rests with t h e i r intelligibility. Deaf and hearing persons who were fluent users of ASL were t e s t e d to verify that t h e g r a p h i c display y i e l d e d signs t h a t could be recognized as p a r t of t h e ASL l e x i c o n . RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Thus far 11 DEZ, 8 TABs, and 7 SIGs have been p r o g r a m e d and s t o r e d on a single paper tape. I f d i s c storage and the necessary i n t e r f a c e were added to o u r Nova, i t is likely t h a t we could represent all 12 TABs, 19 DEZ, and 24 SIGs identified by Stokoe as primes of his model. Meanwhile, the subset of structural features programed thus f a r constitute a suitable feasibility study of a computer simulation of ASL. The following results have been achieved It has been v e r i f i e d that t h e features of ASL identified by Stokoe as structural elements may also function as distinctive features. The same DES and SIG executed with different TABs may result in signs with d i f f e r e n t meanings ( f a t h e r and m o t h e r , s u m m e r and d r y in our data). The same TAB and SIG executed with d i f f e r e n t DEZ may a l s o result in signs with different meanings (who and l i p r e a d in our data). Finally, the same DEZ and TAB with d i f f e r e n t SIGs may a l s o result in signs with d i f f e r e n t meanings (summer and w i s e , face and who in our data) . S e c o n d l y , i f any one of these aspects (TAB, DEZ, or SIG) of a sign is altered, the resulting sign compiled by the computer is 1)",
                "num": null,
                "type_str": "figure",
                "uris": null
            },
            "FIGREF1": {
                "text": "indicate that the orientation of the hands a l s o constitutes a distinctive feature i n ASL. Inappropriate hand orientation can disrupt intelligibility even when the o t h e r three aspects are compiled correctly. Stokoe's model seems to be sufficiently robust t o assimilate t h e required revision without altering h i s basic approach. This computer simulation of ASL was l i m i t e d t o t h e structural features o f individual s i g n s , and it corresponds t o a study of t h e phonological structure of spoken languages. (Stokoe refers t o h i s analysis as CHEROLOGY a f t e r the Greek c h c i r o r hand . ) No attempt was made in this simulation t o present the signs in a linguistic context o r to represent t h e structure of AS sentences Future studies are planned in which the graphic d i~p l a y o f individual signs will be subject t o systematic distortion to discover whether TAB or SIG aspects of signs are perceived categorically by native users of ASL.",
                "num": null,
                "type_str": "figure",
                "uris": null
            }
        }
    }
}