Retrievr – Search Flickr with a sketch

Matt Forsythe | January 3rd, 2006

retrievr

Retrievr is an interesting new experiment that allows users to search the Flickr photo catalogue graphically by sketching what you want instead of using tags.

For example, look what my crude sketch of an eye yielded (above).

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  • Gail Frederick
    I have wondered often if there was a way to find an image or identify one by scanning in a photo. This is not quite the same, but you could try a rough drawing and see if someone has photographed and named say, a statue or a building or a type of animal or plant.
  • It's a neat concept, though right now I'd say the results are still hit-and-miss. I don't know if it has more to do with the size of the database available to it or with the algorithm.

    It works primarily, I think, by matching colors rather than outlines. I first tried it with some simple black-and-white sketches and all I got were black-and-white photos.

    See my results at http://villageidiotsavant.blogspot.com/2006/01/...
  • There's a full review of various 'draw'n'search' sites here..

    http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/blog/060103-1...
  • This is awesome - not very functional yet, obviously, but still.
  • Hey this function is so cool ! I am so going to try it !
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