Facial image retrieval through compound queries using constrained independent component analysis

In this work we present a new technique of facial-image retrieval using constrained independent component analysis (cICA). We have employed cICA for the online extraction of those independent components from the entire database which bear some similarity to the query-images. Instead of using any offline learning mechanism or feature extraction technique, our system works completely online. It can cater for queries formulated from both single and multiple examples, for achieving higher accuracy. For compound queries, instead of treating each query-image independently, the system is capable of finding images similar not only to the individual query-images, but also to their different combinations(1).