CRI: CRD: Public web-based photo-collections as a research testbed

数字影像技术的快速发展，产生了大量的图像被收集，整理，搜索和共享在互联网上。这反过来又导致了基于内容的图像管理系统的研究加速。这种系统必然依赖于计算机视觉和图像处理来提取图像描述符、检测物体和人脸、图像相似性度量、分类算法等。虽然已经提出了许多方法，但由于无法充分获得“真实的”图像集进行测试以及缺乏实用的评估工具，进展受到抑制。目前，正在对用于对象/场景检测、视觉搜索和数据库导航的工具进行评估，这些工具使用的是少量（有点随意）的图像集合，如果有的话，使用的用户数量非常少。该提案寻求资金，为计算机视觉和图像处理社区开发一个资源，包括一个基于Web的公共照片集合。对于公众用户，它将作为一个最先进的在线系统，用于组织，搜索和分享个人照片。然而，它的真正目的是为研究人员提供一个大型的“真实的”图像数据库供测试，并为大量无偏见的用户提供评估。通过利用公众对基于Web的图像服务的蓬勃发展的需求，该资源将提供开发和评估基于内容的图像管理系统的各个组件的能力，在前所未有的规模。除了提供这种研究资源，拟议的系统将使计算机科学和工程专业的学生独特的教育经验。为此目的，该系统将包括一个二级“在线实验室”，可从主要网站进入，允许同意的公众用户试用实验服务。这个“在线实验室”将使学生能够实施和测试他们的项目-不仅在计算机视觉和图像处理领域，而且在对等系统、分布式计算、编程语言、安全和隐私以及界面设计等领域。该项目的进度报告将定期更新在http://www.eecs.harvard.edu/~zickler上。

Rapid development of digital imaging technology has created a flood of images being collected, sorted, searched and shared over the Internet. This in turn has led to the acceleration of research in systems for content-based image management. Such systems necessarily rely on computer vision and image processing for the extraction of image descriptors, the detection of objects and faces, image similarity measures, classification algorithms, etc. While many methods have been proposed, progress is being stifled by insufficient access to `real' image collections for testing and a lack of practical tools for evaluation. At the moment, tools for object/scene detection, visual search, and database navigation are being evaluated on small (somewhat arbitrary) collections of images, and if at all, using a very small number of users.This proposal seeks funding to develop a resource for the computer vision and image processing communities consisting of a public web-based photo collection. To a public user, it will be presented as a state-of-the-art online system for organizing, searching and sharing personal photos. It's true purpose will be for researchers, however, to whom it will provide a large `real' database of images for testing, and a large pool of unbiased users for evaluation. By exploiting the blossoming public demand for web-based image services, this resource will provide the ability to develop and evaluate individual components of content-based image management systems at an unprecedented scale.In addition to providing this research resource, the proposed system will enable unique educational experiences for students in computer science and engineering. For this purpose, the system will include a secondary `online laboratory' that is accessible from the principal website and allows consenting public users to try experimental services. This `online laboratory' will give students the ability to implement and test their projects---not only in the areas of computer vision and image processing, but in areas such as peer-to-peer systems, distributed computing, programming languages, security and privacy, and interface design.Progress reports for this project will be regularly updated at http://www.eecs.harvard.edu/~zickler.