Here Comes Mavo!
A groundbreaking children's animation project
Meet our lab’s magic, Mavokely “Mavo” Zahri. Mavo is Deaf, curious, and adventurous! Mavo has been a member of our lab since 2013, but is now getting her very own television show! In this show, we explore a magical world with Mavo, and with her, learn how to communicate with others.
An animated masterpiece crafted by the Deaf, this series stands as a testament to
diversity, inclusivity, and the sheer magic of communication.
COMING DECEMBER 2024
"Decades of research on language acquisition underscore the critical importance of early exposure to language. Yet, there's a void in children's entertainment for those who need sign language. Here Comes Mavo! aims to bridge this gap, providing access to language for Deaf children and fostering inclusivity."
"Here Comes Mavo! isn't just an animated series; it's a movement creating ripples of change in the entertainment industry. The groundbreaking technology, developed by a Deaf team at Motion Light Lab, sets the stage for a future where inclusivity is not just a goal but a reality."
“Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.”
DIMENSIONS
Within old stories is a nugget of unexplored truth
A majestic spin on the Eyeth folktale and made from our lab with love,
award-winning Dimensions features a beautiful futuristic world where we see
technology and sign language in 3D animation.
Episode 1: Completed in 2022. 10 Film Awards Won.
Episode 2: Coming to you in 2025!
Concepts
We gave careful attention to the architecture in Dimensions, making sure it is accessible to the Deaf - also known as Deaf Space. Deaf space is where the environment around you is designed to be as visually accessible as possible.
Made possible by
Signing Avatars
As we push boundaries for sign language in technology, we have a lot of fun creating those signing avatars.
Most sign avatars were made with a fun challenge as motivation, for example Gingerbread Cookies don’t have fingers!
Can you spot language play and sign language magic in our signing avatar shorts?
SAIL
Signing Avatars & Immersive Learning
SAIL is an NSF-funded project housed within the Action & Brain Lab and Motion Light Lab at Gallaudet University. This project involves the development and testing of a new ASL learning environment. Signing Avatars are created using motion capture recordings of deaf signers signing in ASL.
The avatars are placed in a Virtual Reality landscape accessed via head-mounted goggles. Users enter the virtual reality environment, and the user's own movements are captured via a gesture-tracking system. A "teacher" avatar guides users through an interactive ASL lesson involving both the observation and production of signs.
Users learn ASL signs from both the first-person perspective and the third-person perspective. The project team pioneers the integration of multiple technologies: avatars, Motion Capture systems, Virtual Reality, gesture tracking, and EEG, with the goal of making progress toward an improved tool for sign language learning.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant #1839379.
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.