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ABSTRACT Typical communication methods for the deaf-blind are (1) print-
Finger braille is one of the communication methods for the deaf on-palm (tracing letters on the palm of the deaf-blind), (2) tactile
blind. The fingers of the deaf blind are regarded as keys of a sign language and finger alphabet, (3) “Bulista”, which prints out
brailler. Finger braille seems to be the most suited medium for braille on tape, and (4) finger braille using a Braille code. In
real-time communication and for expressing the feelings of a finger braille, the fingers of the deaf-blind are regarded as the
speaker. We are trying to develop a finger braille receiver for keys of a brailler. A person types the Braille code on the fingers
teletext broadcasting system which will help the deaf blind to use of the deaf-blind (Figure 1). Of these methods, finger braille using
current mass media. We assume that prosodic information is a Braille code seems appropriate for real-time communication.
strongly needed to transform letters to finger braille. In this study,
we analyzed the time structure of finger braille and found that it is
influenced by the structure and meaning of the sentences. Based
on the results, we construct a prosody rule for time structure. The
validity of the rule was confirmed in an output experiment.
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Table 1: Example of vocalization code
Mora with voiceless
Mora with voiced consonant = Vocalization code +
consonant
ji = V* + si
Braille** +
Braille** +
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2 0 0
1 8 0
1 6 0
u shi
Finger pressure 1 4 0 N
1 2 0 V In d e x fin g e r
1 0 0 M id d le fin g e r
8 0 R in g fin g e r
6 0
4 0 Duration
2 0
0
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
T im e ( m illis e c o n d s )
600
500
Time(milliseconds)
400
300
200
100
0
N u V sh i ni chi V ha e ki no hi V ka sh i V ku chi V te su
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1: Young man and 2: woman are 3: walking
1 2 3 1 2 3
Figure 5: The tree based on recording A Figure 6: The tree based on recording B
4. OUTPUT EXPERIMENTS
3.3 Data Recording 3: Paragraph 4.1 Conditions
3.3.1 Data Recording An experiment has been performed to evaluate the effect of the
Three finger braille translators participated as a subject in the prosody rule. We examined whether the deaf blind have a better
third recording. The subjects were asked to type short paragraphs understanding when prosody information is added to finger braille
from a news program in order to determine the parameter of the output. We have developed a new instrument for output of finger
prosody rule. The subjects listened to the news and type the braille (Figure 7). It is available to control the time structure of
paragraph simultaneously. output by PC.
3.3.2 Data Analysis
Table 3 shows the average duration of the last code of phrases and
sentences, and some special codes. For example, the code which
acted to change an unvoiced consonant into a voiced consonant
had a short duration, while the code which changed the coding
system had a long duration. The result indicates that the length of
duration has much to do with the function of the special codes. If
the deaf blind person fails to read the vocalization code, he/she
will misread a following code only. However, if he/she skips the
numberization code, it is possible that more than two codes will
not be transformed to number and likely misread. It causes a
serious effect on understanding of the sentence. Therefore,
duration of transform codes became longer, so the codes would no Figure 7: Output instrument
be skipped.
The subject was a deaf blind who uses the finger braille as her
3.3.3 Prosody Rule for Timing Structure major communication means. Before the experiment, there was a
From the results, we derived a rule to model the prosody rehearsal. The subject could read all the sentences both with and
information of finger braille. The structure of the sentence and the without prosody. In the experiment, to compare two outputs
type of the code determined a length of duration of a braille code. effectively, the parameter was set as half the recorded time, so the
The code was previously analyzed whether it was the end of a output speed became twice the recorded time.
phrase or a sentence, and whether it was a special code. Each
code was given the average values as its duration. Without prosody, each code was output for 210 ms. With prosody,
each code was output for the half of the duration described in
Table 3: Average values of duration by codes Table 3. Each output includes a pause with half of its duration.
Four essays about animal lives were output. One essay had 450-
Types of the code Duration 500 Braille codes and consisted of three paragraphs. Two essays
(milliseconds) had prosodic information and two had no prosodic information.
Last code of phrase 790 There were 10 questions concerning each essay, so 20 questions
Last code of sentence 697 were prepared for each output. A finger braille translator typed
Vocalization code 343 the questions, and the subject answered orally. The questions
Palatalized code 357 were repeated until the subject understood completely.
Code to change character set 587
Others 377
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4.2 Results Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers,
Table 4 shows the results of the experiment. The subject exhibited 1987.
a better understanding of the output with the prosody rule. The [5] Sakai et al., “Study of New Passive Tactile Braille-
subject felt that the output by prosody was more natural and Transmission Methods”, ITE, Vol. 52, No. 4, pp. 512-519,
understandable as to the timing structure of sentences. The similar 1998.
results were shown in a study of prosody of spoken languages [4].
The result confirms the validity of the prosody rule.
6. CONCLUSIONS
In this paper, we analyzed the time structure of finger braille.
Based on the recording, the prosody rule for finger braille was
proposed. Finally subjective experiments were performed and the
results show that the prosody rule for finger braille is effective.
We are currently analyzing strength of movement in each finger
to detect other prosody in finger braille.
7. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors are grateful to Mr. Uchiyama, and Mr. Wada of
Double R&D Co., Ltd. for making the finger braille instruments.
We also thank the volunteer subjects for their assistance.
8. REFERENCES
[1] Hoshino, Denda, Otake, & Yonezawa, “Basic Study of
Optimum Stimulus Mode for Finger Braille Display”, The
Transactions of the Institute of Electronics, Information and
Communication Engineers. A 81(9), 1273-1279, 1998.
[2] Ichikawa, “Dialogue Languages and Persons with
Disabilities”, IEICE transactions, Vol.E87-D, No.6, pp.1312-
319, 2004.
[3] J. Hirschberg, “Communication and Prosody: functional
aspects of prosody,” Speech Communication, vol.36, pp.31-
43, 2002.
[4] Kitahara, Takeda, & Ichikawa, “Study of Prosodic Effect on
Acceptance of Spoken Language”, In National Convention
Record, 1987, pp. 6-17, Yokohama, The Institute of
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