Σnigma: an image retrieval system

Presents a system which retrieves images on the basis of automatically generated indexes (i.e. semantic image representations, obtained by automatic image analysis, indicating the content of the images). The system consists of two parts: an off-line indexing part and an on-line image retrieval part. The indexing component is used to automatically generate semantic representations of images so that the image retrieval component can use this information to enable image retrieval. The man-machine communication of the image retrieval component is based on an iconical graphical query language to accomplish geographical query specification for image access. Experiments have been carried out on three different sets of images from the following domains: MRI images of the chest, electronic schemas and topographic maps. The experiments show encouraging results especially for domains which have a high degree of formality in their pictorial expression, such as electronic schemas and topographic maps, and to a less extent for domains having a weak degree of formality such as MRI images of the chest