Advanced content-based semantic scene analysis and information retrieval: the SCHEMA project

The aim of the SCHEMA Network of Excellence is to bring together a critical mass of universities, research centers, industrial partners and end users, in order to design a reference system for content-based semantic scene analysis, interpretation and understanding. Relevant research areas include: content-based multimedia analysis and automatic annotation of semantic multimedia content, combined textual and multimedia information retrieval, semantic -web, MPEG-7 and MPEG-21 standards, user interfaces and human factors. In this paper, recent advances in content-based analysis, indexing and retrieval of digital media within the SCHEMA Network are presented. These advances will be integrated in the SCHEMA module-based, expandable reference system

LAYLAB : a constraint-based layout manager for multimedia presentations

When developing advanced intelligent user interfaces composing text, graphics, animation, hypermedia etc., the question of automatically designing the graphical layout of such multimedia presentations in an appropriate format plays a crucial role. This paper introduces the task, the functionality and the architecture of the constraint-based multimedia layout manager LayLab

Evaluating the implicit feedback models for adaptive video retrieval

Interactive video retrieval systems are becoming popular. On the one hand, these systems try to reduce the effect of the semantic gap, an issue currently being addressed by the multimedia retrieval community. On the other hand, such systems enhance the quality of information seeking for the user by supporting query formulation and reformulation. Interactive systems are very popular in the textual retrieval domain. However, they are relatively unexplored in the case of multimedia retrieval. The main problem in the development of interactive retrieval systems is the evaluation cost.The traditional evaluation methodology, as used in the information retrieval domain, is not applicable. An alternative is to use a user-centred evaluation methodology. However, such schemes are expensive in terms of effort, cost and are not scalable. This problem gets exacerbated by the use of implicit indicators, which are useful and increasingly used in predicting user intentions. In this paper, we explore the effectiveness of a number of interfaces and feedback mechanisms and compare their relative performance using a simulated evaluation methodology. The results show the relatively better performance of a search interface with the combination of explicit and implicit features

Talking with pictures: Exploring the possibilities of iconic communication

As multimedia computing becomes the order of the day, so there is a greater need to understand and to come to terms with the problems of visual presentation. This paper deals with iconic languages as a means of communicating ideas and concepts without words. Two example systems, developed respectively at the universities of Exeter and Brighton, are described. Both embody basic principles of the iconic communication which,, though not unique to learning technology, is forming an increasingly important part of user‐interfaces, including those in the area computer‐assisted learning

Computer Ownership Up Sharply in the 1990s

[Excerpt] Graphical user interfaces, multimedia CD-ROMs, and the Internet have increased accessibility and people’s understanding of computers. And greater understanding has brought substantially greater ownership. Between 1990 and 1997, the percentage of households1 owning computers increased from 15 percent to 35 percent. During this time, the amount spent by the average household on computers and associated hardware more than tripled. This report briefly examines the demographics of computer ownership (also see table ) as reported by households participating in the interview component of the Bureau’s Consumer Expenditure survey

New approaches for mixed reality in urban environments: the CINeSPACE project

The CINeSPACE (www.cinespace.eu) project allows tourists to access the rich cultural heritage of urban environments by literally morphing the user into the past through the use of multimedia archives. Tourists use the device which includes both a PDA type of device with a GIS interface displayed on a touch screen to help the user navigate and select multimedia content, and video binoculars to create the augmented reality effects. In addition to this mode of interaction, a survey of Mixed Reality user interaction paradigms will be presented. A key feature of Mixed Reality user interfaces is the object identification and annotation methods available to the user, of which a survey, including a review of the GeoConcepts ontology annotation methodology used in the CINeSPACE device, will be presented.Peer Reviewe

New approaches for mixed reality in urban environments: the CINeSPACE project

The CINeSPACE (www.cinespace.eu) project allows tourists to access the rich cultural heritage of urban environments by literally morphing the user into the past through the use of multimedia archives. Tourists use the device which includes both a PDA type of device with a GIS interface displayed on a touch screen to help the user navigate and select multimedia content, and video binoculars to create the augmented reality effects. In addition to this mode of interaction, a survey of Mixed Reality user interaction paradigms will be presented. A key feature of Mixed Reality user interfaces is the object identification and annotation methods available to the user, of which a survey, including a review of the GeoConcepts ontology annotation methodology used in the CINeSPACE device, will be presented.Peer Reviewe

Research in constraint-based layout, visualization, CAD, and related topics : a bibliographical survey

The present work compiles numerous papers in the area of computer-aided design, graphics, layout configuration, and user interfaces in general. There is nearly no conference on graphics, multimedia, and user interfaces that does not include a section on constraint-based graphics; on the other hand most conferences on constraint processing favour applications in graphics. This work of bibliographical pointers may serve as a basis for a detailed and comprehensive survey of this important and challenging field in the intersection of constraint processing and graphics. In order to reach this ambitious aim, and also to keep this study up-to-date, the authors appreciate any comment and update information

Video browsing interfaces and applications: a review

We present a comprehensive review of the state of the art in video browsing and retrieval systems, with special emphasis on interfaces and applications. There has been a significant increase in activity (e.g., storage, retrieval, and sharing) employing video data in the past decade, both for personal and professional use. The ever-growing amount of video content available for human consumption and the inherent characteristics of video data—which, if presented in its raw format, is rather unwieldy and costly—have become driving forces for the development of more effective solutions to present video contents and allow rich user interaction. As a result, there are many contemporary research efforts toward developing better video browsing solutions, which we summarize. We review more than 40 different video browsing and retrieval interfaces and classify them into three groups: applications that use video-player-like interaction, video retrieval applications, and browsing solutions based on video surrogates. For each category, we present a summary of existing work, highlight the technical aspects of each solution, and compare them against each other