Image-based information retrieval using mobile devices

Image-based information retrieval goes beyond only matching images, as information in other modalities also can be extracted from data collections using image search. Our purpose has been to explore users experience of general mobile photo-based Web searches to find what issues and phenomena it contains. This was achieved in a three-part study by creating and letting respondents test prototypes of mobile photo-based search systems and collecting data using interviews, observations, video-observations, questionnaires, and time-meassurements. Among the issues and questions found, the most important was that a specific image can be submitted to a search engine with many different search questions in mind. Users need ways to specify their information need apart from using the image itself. Suggestions for designs to solve issues like this one have been explored as a part of this study