improves image retrieval

Recent experiments have shown that visual target selection is significantly faster with an eyetracker than with a mouse. This mechanism has now been developed into an interface for image retrieval in which the user is able to search a database of images for a target image just using eye movement. A network of pre-computed inter-image similarities are used to provide successive displays of thumbnail images that are similar to the images that attracted attention in previous displays. The VIDEO shows the fixations and saccades during a typical search. The target image is in the top left corner and the action stops as soon as the target image is retrieved.

Reference: A performance comparison of eye tracking and mouse interfaces in a target identification task. European Workshop on the Integration of Knowledge, Semantics & Digital Media Technology EWIMT'05, London, 30th November – 1st December, 2005.

• Contact: Fred Stentiford, UCL ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it )  
• For more background information, consult the MUSCLE Paper Archive and search for papers by Stentiford.