Extreme video retrieval

Abstract

We present an efficient system for video search that maximizes the use of human bandwidth, while at the same time exploiting the machine's ability to learn in real-time from user selected relevant video clips. The system exploits the human capability for rapidly scanning imagery augmenting it with an active learning loop, which attempts to always present the most relevant material based on the current information. Two versions of the human interface were evaluated, one with variable page sizes and manual paging, the other with a fixed page size and automatic paging. Both require absolute attention and focus of the user for optimal performance. In either case, as users search and find relevant results, the system can invisibly re-rank its previous best guesses using a number of knowledge sources, such as image similarity, text similarity, and temporal proximity. Experimental evidence shows a significant improvement using the combined extremes of human and machine power over either approach alone.