JISC

Start date: 1 August 1998

End date: 1 May 2000

Funding programme: JISC Technologies Application (JTAP) programme

Interest in the potential of digital images has increased enormously over the last few years. Users are exploiting the opportunity to access remotely-stored images in all kinds of new and exciting ways. However, this has exacerbated the problem of locating a desired image in a large and varied collection. This has led to the rise of a new R & D field - content-based image retrieval (CBIR), the retrieval of images on the basis of features automatically extracted from the images themselves. CBIR is a highly active research field, and the technology is now beginning to move into the marketplace. However, the practical usefulness of CBIR techniques remains unproven, making it difficult to reach informed decisions on their adoption.

The aim of this project is to prepare a report giving a clear indication of the current state of the art in research, development and implementation of CBIR techniques within the UK. The work will involve a review of the current research and professional literature (including material on the World-Wide Web), together with discussions with UK and overseas researchers, major users of image data and representatives of standards bodies. The report will review what is known about the needs of users of image data, assess the capabilities and limitations of current approaches to image retrieval, outline current research trends in the area, discuss the implications of standards, and make recommendations for further work.