netidee projects: Sign language for messenger services
Over 17,000 videos of individual signs were produced as GIFs and stickers to establish sign language as an equal form of communication in digital messenger services.
A central element of the project was the provision not only of the finished animations, but also of all raw data and 3D models (Maya files) under a free license to encourage further development by third parties.
The project is aimed at three main target groups:
- Deaf and hard-of-hearing people who want to communicate in their first language in chats and social media.
- Hearing people who are proficient in sign language and want to communicate directly and visually with deaf friends or colleagues.
- Developers and scientists who can use the open raw data to develop new applications, sign recognition algorithms, or educational programs.
The videos of individual signs were produced as GIFs and stickers and published on the platforms Giphy.com and Tenor.com. Users can integrate these animations directly into popular messenger services and social media platforms to communicate in sign language.
October 2025
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