Beyond image analysis: image informatics

摘要

Image informatics is the process of mining information and refining knowledge derived from images. It consists of accurately capturing images, extracting as much raw data as possible, analysing that data with great precision, displaying it in a readily comprehensible form, sharing it with colleagues and other professionals, and using it within the context of individual disciplines. Processing image information is something we do every day. We take in visual clues from our environment, process them rapidly, and react appropriately to enhance our survival. Our brains retain a vast database of images which we constantly refine and compare against this deluge of new information pouring in. Millions of years of evolutionary biology have perfected our ability to deduce patterns from scant input and draw valid conclusions.