# SignBot: Learning Human-to-Humanoid Sign Language Interaction

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.24266 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2505.24266/

## Key facts

- Cited by 5 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 30 May 2025.

## Built on by (most cited first, 5 of 5)

- [MaDiS: Taming Masked Diffusion Language Models for Sign Language Generation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2601.19577/) (2026)
- [From Sign Language Generation to Humanoid Execution: Vision-Language Guided Retargeting with Collision Mitigation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2607.17769/) (2026)
- [When LLM Meets Tree Search: A Systematic View of Inference as Search in Large Language Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2608.30395/) (2026)
- [Bioinfoysis Technical Report](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2609.03871/) (2026)
- [RoboSTAR: Next-Scale Autoregressive Sign Language Translation for Humanoid Robots](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2609.32250/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Sign language is a natural and visual form of language that uses movements and expressions to convey meaning, serving as a crucial means of communication for individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH). However, the number of people proficient in sign language remains limited, highlighting the need for technological advancements to bridge communication gaps and foster interactions with minorities. Based on recent advancements in embodied humanoid robots, we propose SignBot, a novel framework for human-robot sign language interaction. SignBot integrates a cerebellum-inspired motion control component and a cerebral-oriented module for comprehension and interaction. Specifically, SignBot consists of: 1) Motion Retargeting, which converts human sign language datasets into robot-compatible kinematics; 2) Motion Control, which leverages a learning-based paradigm to develop a robust humanoid control policy for tracking sign language gestures; and 3) Generative Interaction, which incorporates translator, responser, and generator of sign language, thereby enabling natural and effective communication between robots and humans. Simulation and real-world experimental results demonstrate that SignBot can effectively facilitate human-robot interaction and perform sign language motions with diverse robots and datasets. SignBot represents a significant advancement in automatic sign language interaction on embodied humanoid robot platforms, providing a promising solution to improve communication accessibility for the DHH community.