KIKI: VIRTUAL HUMAN INTERPRETER

Japan has one of the highest earthquake risks globally. Despite having one of the most advanced early-warning systems, designed to provide life-saving information in multiple languages, it was missing one: Japanese Sign Language. To provide fundamental and equal access to Japan's 300,000+ Deaf Community Members, together with NHK (Japan’s Public Broadcaster) we created Kiki. The world’s first, text-to-sign Virtual Human Interpreter for Emergency Alerts. Through a first of its kind text to sign translation engine, Kiki, a lifelike virtual avatar, receives text input and generates full dynamic Japanese Sign Language in real-time.