SHape REtrieval Contest (SHREC) 2008

Since 2006 the 3D shape retrieval contest SHREC has been organized. The general objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of 3D shape retrieval algorithms. 3D media retrieval is overlooked in most commercial search engines, while at the same time it is expected to represent a huge amount of traffic and data stored in the Internet. Recent advances in technology have made available cost-effective scanning devices that could not even be imagined a decade ago. It is now possible to acquire 3D data of a physical object in a few seconds and produce a digital model of its geometry that can be easily shared on the Internet. On the other hand, most PCs connected to the Internet are nowadays equipped with high-performance 3D graphics hardware, that support rendering, interaction and processing capabilities from home environments to enterprise scenarios.