From content-based retrieval to invisible telepresence

Better tools for producing and managing data, combined with the human desire for information, have resulted in a data explosion. Indeed, data overload often leaves us confused, disoriented, and inefficient. The challenge is to find relevant data that lets us extract the information we want. Keyword-based systems cannot do this well, especially when working with images and video. It will be impossible to cope with the multimedia data explosion unless the data is organized for rapid information retrieval. Research in this field is in its infancy; nevertheless, commercial products are starting to appear that allow retrieval of images and video using query by pictorial example techniques. At present, these techniques work using only image primitives, but similar techniques based on domain knowledge should be available soon. Thus we will have additional techniques for providing navigational engines to ensure that the information highway is more than just a data network.