The SIGNUM Database contains both isolated and continuous utterances of various signers. Since we use a vision-based approach for sign language recognition the corpus was recorded on video. For quick random access to individual frames, each video clip is stored as a sequence of images.
The vocabulary comprises 450 basic signs in German Sign Language (DGS) representing different word types. Based on this vocabulary, overall 780 sentences were constructed. Each sentence ranges from two to eleven signs in length. No intentional pauses are placed between signs within a sentence, but the sentences themselves are separated. The entire corpus, i.e. all 450 basic signs and all 780 sentences, was performed once by 25 native signers of different sexes and ages. One of them was chosen to be the so-called reference signer. His performances were recorded not once but even three times. For more information see the concept of the corpus.
The following table summarizes the most important details about the recorded sign language database.
| General Information | |
|---|---|
| Name: | SIGNUM Database |
| Author: | Ulrich von Agris |
| Corpus Content | |
| Language: | German Sign Language (DGS) |
| Vocabulary size: | 450 basic signs |
| Number of signers: | 25 native signers |
| Number of isolated signs: | 450 |
| Number of continuous sentences: | 780 |
| Number of performances: | |
| • Reference signer | 3 |
| • Other signers | 1 |
| Total number of sequences: | 33,210 |
| Total number of images: | 5,970,450 |
| Equivalent video duration: | 55.3h |
| Technical Details | |
| Image resolution: | 776x578, 30fps, 24bpp, color |
| Image format: | JPEG |
| Data volume: | 920GB (approx.) |
| Medium: | 1 hard disk |