BOSS: browsing OPTICS-plots for similarity search

An increasing number of database applications have emerged for which efficient and effective support for similarity search is substantial. Particularly, the task of finding similar shapes in 2D and 3D becomes more and more important. Examples for new applications that require the retrieval of similar 3D objects include databases for molecular biology, medical imaging and computer aided design. Hierarchical clustering was shown to be effective for evaluating similarity models. Furthermore, visually analyzing cluster hierarchies helps the user, e.g. an engineer, to find and group similar objects. We present an interactive browsing tool called BOSS (browsing OPTICS-plots for similarity search), which utilizes solid automatic cluster recognition and extraction of meaningful cluster representatives in order to provide the user with significant and quick information.