LUCIA-webGL: a web based Italian MPEG-4 talking head

In this work we present the reviewing of the activities focused on the development of the WebGL software version of LUCIA talking head, an open source facial animation framework developed at ISTC-CNR of Padua. LUCIA works on standard MPEG-4 Facial Animation Parameters and speaks with the Italian version of FESTIVAL TTS. LUCIA is totally based on true real human data collected by the use of ELITE, a fully automatic movement analyzer for 3D kinematics data acquisition. These informations are used to create lips articulatory model and to drive directly the talking face, generating human facial movements. We are exploiting the use of LUCIA WebGL as a virtual guide in the Wikimemo.it project: The portal of Italian Language and Culture. The easy integration of this technology in websites offers promising future uses for the WebGL Avatars: on-line personal assistant, storyteller for web-books, digital tutor for hearing impaired are only few examples.