Image Databases

Abstract

Images have always been an essential and effective medium for presenting visual data. With advances in today’s computer technologies, it is not surprising that in many applications, much of the data is images. In medical applications, images such as X-rays, magnetic resonance images and computer tomography images are frequently generated and used to support clinical decision making. In geographic information systems, maps, satellite images, demographics and even tourist information are often processed, analyzed and archived. In police department criminal databases, images like fingerprints and pictures of criminals are kept to facilitate identification of suspects. Even in offices, information may arrive in many different forms (memos, documents, and faxes) that can be digitized electronically and stored as images.