Audio-visual speech translation with automatic lip syncqronization and face tracking based on 3-D head model

Speech-to-speech translation has been studied to realize natural human communication beyond language barriers. Toward further multi-modal natural communication, visual information such as face and lip movements will be necessary. In this paper, we introduce a multi-modal English-to-Japanese and Japanese-to-English translation system that also translates the speaker´s speech motion while synchronizing it to the translated speech. To retain the speaker´s facial expression, we substitute only the speech organ´s image with the synthesized one, which is made by a three-dimensional wire-frame model that is adaptable to any speaker. Our approach enables image synthesis and translation with an extremely small database. We conduct subjective evaluation by connected digit discrimination using data with and without audiovisual lip-synchronicity. The results confirm the sufficient quality of the proposed audio-visual translation system.