Austrian Sign Language has been constitutionally recognised as a language in its own right since 2005 and has been included in the Austrian UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Register since 2013. It is a full-fledged language with its own grammar and a community of roughly 8,000 to 10,000 native speakers in Austria. It is a visual language: its signs arise from the interplay of hand shape, movement, facial expressions and the use of space. Anyone wishing to document ÖGS cannot therefore simply record it in books or audio recordings, but must capture this visual form.

This is exactly where the digital ÖGS collection comes in. Over 1,600 signs were recorded with real ÖGS signers and then converted into 3D avatars using SiMAX technology. The result: every sign can be accessed at any time, in consistent quality and from any angle. The signer's form on the day, lighting and camera angle no longer matter. The avatar displays the word exactly as it did the first time, even ten years from now.

Each video also carries German subtitles so that hearing audiences can also make the connection between the term and sign. In addition, over 1,000 GIF animations are available, which can be easily integrated into digital applications and social media.

This results in a permanent and standardised form of documentation: the signs are preserved regardless of the individuals involved or the recording situation.

The selection of signs follows everyday vocabulary and spans several areas of life. Four examples illustrate the range: the city name "Wien" (Vienna), the institution "Museum", the everyday term "Kassa" (cash desk) and the educational word "Mythologie" (mythology). Overall, the collection covers family, work, education, public administration and leisure, thereby showcasing ÖGS not only as linguistic reference material but also as a living, everyday practice.

The rendered videos and GIF animations are freely available under a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-SA 4.0). Schools, museums, research and educational institutions can use them without any licensing barriers.

The collection is part of a larger project. It complements the Vienna-based interactive exhibition "Hands Up – Erlebnis Stille", where hearing visitors encounter ÖGS for the first time, guided by deaf instructors. A dedicated sign language greeting generator also allows users to create personalised greeting messages with the avatar and share them via messaging services, for example. This creates an interplay between physical encounters and digital use, both of which are equally accessible.