Kiki brings together creative vision and technical expertise to redefine communication for the Deaf community. Developed in collaboration with Sign Language experts, it combines digital craft with linguistic mastery, leveraging cutting-edge technology to ensure authenticity and capture expressions in real time. Kiki champions global inclusivity, offering a dynamic virtual avatar for effective interaction, especially crucial in emergencies, empowering the Deaf community with vital information. This project underscores NHK’s commitment to inclusivity, showcasing how creativity, technology, and social responsibility converge to address real-world challenges. Kiki represents a new era in digital innovation to reshape human connection with transformative impact.

Surrounded by rising sea levels, Japan has one of the highest earthquake risks globally. In only the last decade, it has experienced over 30 earthquakes, including a record breaking one in 2011— A 9.0 magnitude quake that resulted in the most destructive tsunami in recorded history. Despite having one of the most advanced early-warning systems, designed to provide life-saving information in multiple languages, it was missing one very important one: Japanese Sign Language.

In order to provide fundamental and equal access to Japan's 300,000+ Deaf Community Members, NHK (Japan’s Public Broadcaster) created Kiki. The world’s first, text-to-sign translator 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.

For members of the Deaf community, providing only closed captioning only during Emergency Alerts is like translating content into an entirely different language as they read. Transcribing spoken words doesn’t capture the same meaning or nuances for those who communicate primarily through Sign Languages.

Sign Languages have their own word order (or syntax). And what word order is appropriate depends on the context. Proper word order depends on what you’re trying to do: explain, remind, confirm, negate, cause to consider, ask a question, etc. This results in multiple variations of interpretation of a single sentence of spoken word.

The fact that the distinction between closed captioning and the importance of actual Sign language isn’t widely understood is why the world needs to include more sign language interpretation and advocacy of linguistic diversity. Emergency alerts are but one part of answering the broader call. It’s time to embrace true accessibility.

The creative idea behind Kiki was to develop the world's first text-to-sign translation engine, revolutionizing communication for the Deaf community. Drawing upon advanced technology and collaboration with Sign Language experts, Kiki seamlessly translates plain text into lifelike Japanese Sign Language (JSL) in real-time. The idea was to create a dynamic virtual avatar capable of accurately conveying the nuances of sign language, including facial expressions and emotional cues. This innovative approach ensures rapid and effective communication during emergencies and beyond. By combining cutting-edge technology with linguistic expertise, Kiki represents a breakthrough in accessibility, empowering the Deaf community with vital information and fostering inclusivity on a global scale. The creative idea behind Kiki encapsulates the brand's commitment to leveraging innovation for positive societal impact, driving meaningful change in how we communicate and interact with one another.

Kiki's execution showcases innovation through her pioneering text-to-sign translation engine, revolutionizing real-time Japanese Sign Language (JSL) interpretation. With a database of over 16,000 individually captured mocaps representing signed words, Kiki achieves unprecedented accuracy and realism, setting a new standard in the field not just in Japan, but globally. The implementation involved a meticulous two-year process, collaborating with Sign Language experts and Tsukuba University of Technology to ensure linguistic authenticity and technical precision. Integration into Japan's emergency broadcast system underscores the project's scalability and immediate impact. Kiki's deployment extends beyond emergencies, enhancing accessibility in various settings such as museums, airports, and aircraft safety videos. This inventive execution not only addresses a crucial gap in emergency communication but also demonstrates adaptability, pushing the boundaries of real-time text-to-sign language translation to exponentially increase opportunities for sign inclusivity for the Deaf community.