<$BlogRSDUrl$> Marcus P. Zillman, M.S., A.M.H.A. Author/Speaker/Consultant
Marcus P. Zillman, M.S., A.M.H.A. Author/Speaker/Consultant
Internet Happenings, Events and Sources


Saturday, April 10, 2004  

Etch-A-Search
http://news.com.com/2100-1038-5182775.html
Researchers at Purdue University have developed a search engine that enables users to simply sketch what it is they're looking for and retrieves all images that match the drawing. The new search engine is geared toward industrial and manufacturing users, with the goal of avoiding redesign costs by enabling them to quickly find existing widgets. However, the concept of generall image searches on the Internet should be viable in 10 to 15 years, says Purdue mechanical engineering professor Karthik Ramani. "You can search on something that you have in your mind. A shape has so many details in it." Currently, image searches remain largely a text-based activity, with tools based primarily on keywords. That means images must be tagged with metadata in order to match up with users' queries. But companies such as Virage, Vima Technologies and LTU Technologies are working on technologies much closer to what the Purdue researchers are developing. And while Vima CEO David Telleen-Lawton says he's not convinced that a hand-drawn search is really what people want, ImgSeek offers a downloadable tool that allows users to search photo collections by drawing a rough sketch of what it is they're looking for. It then displays the best matches in a thumbnail format. Ramani says studies have shown that design engineers cumulatively as a whole spend about six weeks a year looking for lost parts -- his search engine could cut that time by 80% and help companies gravitate toward standardized components with fewer in-house designs.

posted by Marcus Zillman | 4:10 AM
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