PI∫∫ARO: perceptual colour and texture queries using stackable mosaics

This paper introduces PI∫∫ARO (Perceptual Image Similarity And Retrieval Online), a Web based image retrieval system designed for combining, evaluating and comparing content based image retrieval (CBIR) techniques. The need for a query interface which allows the user to understand both query and subsequent retrievals is identified and implemented together with a stackable mosaic approach to query design which gives the benefit of pre-calculated features whilst allowing the user to paint queries. Several colour and texture based feature extraction methods are evaluated for CBIR including a new perceptual colour histogram. Finally, the suitability of the stackable mosaic approach is demonstrated using colour and texture query combinations