Content-based retrieval of surface defect images with MPEG-7 descriptors

In this paper a prototype system is described for the management and content-based retrieval of defect images in huge image databases. This is a real problem in surface inspection applications, since modern inspection systems may produce up to thousands of defect images in a day. We axe using a noncommercial, generic content-based image retrieval (CBIR) system called PicSOM that is modified to fit to the special requirements of our application. The system is tested with a small pre-classified database of surface defect images using the MPEG-7 features. The scalability of the system is also examined using a larger database. Results indicate that the system works with a high level of success.