Recent applications of IBM's query by image content (QBIC)
Dragutin Petković, Robert S. Dow, Myrlene Gee, M. Vo, Phuong Vo, B. Holt, J. Hethorn, K. Weiss, P. Elliott, C. Bird, Wayne Niblack, Myron Flickner, David A. Steele, D. Lee, J. Yin, John William Hafner, F. Tung, Harold Treat · 1996
The QBIC project at IBM's Almaden Research Center is studying methods to query large on-line image databases using the images' content as the basis of the queries.Examples of the content include color, color layout, texture, shape, size, orientation, and position of image objects and regions.We have developed an AIX prototype, WWW QBIC server with WWW demo, and a product called Ultimedia Manager (OS/2 and Windows).The key applications of this technology are in the areas where image patterns are the basis of the queries, and where keywords are not precise enough for satisfactory retrieval, such as in on-line stock photo, retail, art etc.In this paper we briefly outline several recent applications of QBIC.SEDONA Systems Corporation, PIP Printing and IBM announced an application where QBIC is used to help the user find images to be included in documents remotely printed in high resolution and quality; IBM in the UK is developing an "advisor" to textile designers; Prof. B. Holt (UC Davis) researches use of QBIC for retrieving art images based on examples of a motifs used across geography and time without having to use standard authority lists of text reference terms, especially when searching for visual elements that are difficult to describe in words; and Prof. J. Hethorn (UC Davis) uses Ultimedia Manager to study colors, styles and trends in fashion.In this paper we "Permission to make digital/hard copy of all or part of this material without fee is granted provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage, the ACM copyright/server notice, the title of the publication and its date appear, and notice is given that copying is by permission of the Association for Computing Machinery, Ine.(ACM).To copy otherwise, to republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee." present a short overview of QBIC technology and products, and summarize the above applications.