Searching through image libraries

Image searching is an example of a problem in which (typically), you may not know what you are looking for, but you'll recognize it when you see it.

As a demonstration of the Hunch Engine, we have created a tool to search for images on flickr. The user starts with one or more keywords, which are used to generate an initial sample of images. Our genetic operations in this case use the tags associated with images.

The user clicks on one or more images that he or she finds "interesting", and then clicks the evolve button. The Hunch Engine returns a new batch of images that are mutations of those selected by the user. The image on the left shows an example in which a user has begun the search with the keyword "paris" (click on the image for a larger version). The "DNA" icons represent images that are still loading.

Because this demo uses only the image tags created by the flickr users, the search can take the user to unexpected pictures, making for an interesting, often surprising "exploration". If a more focused search were desired (for instance, find night-time pictures of Paris with people in them), other filters could easily be added to the Hunch Engine. This would be entirely transparent to the user, and would not impact the interface or the way the tool is used.