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From: cs313s19@uhccux.UUCP (Mike Morton)
Newsgroups: misc.wanted,comp.databases,sci.research,comp.ai,comp.misc
Subject: pattern recognition software (recognizing humpback fins!) wanted
Message-ID: <1163@uhccux.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 22-Nov-87 21:57:54 EST
Article-I.D.: uhccux.1163
Posted: Sun Nov 22 21:57:54 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 26-Nov-87 03:16:08 EST
Distribution: na
Organization: U. of Hawaii, Manoa (Honolulu)
Lines: 22
Keywords: recognition databases whales
Xref: mnetor misc.wanted:1695 comp.databases:597 sci.research:292 comp.ai:1157 comp.misc:1677

A friend does research work spotting humpbacks by recognizing their
dorsal fins.  The researchers finish each day by comparing the day's
photos with 300-400 photos of known whales to recognize individuals.
They're looking for a way to do this with a computer database.

They could code the data and enter them as numbers: size and shape of
fins, etc.  Then the database just needs to search for close matches. 
This could be done with a simple Basic program or spreadsheet macro; any
suggestions for a turnkey system which does this?

Better, but presumably harder to find or implement, would be a graphics
recognition system, scanning images or allowing them to be traced by
hand and entered.  I doubt there's anything like this available off-the-
shelf, but would be interested to hear about it if there is.

Solutions for the Mac are especially of interest, but any micro is OK.
Please reply by email.  Thanks in advance.

 -- Mike Morton // P.O. Box 11378, Honolulu, HI  96878, (808) 456-8455 HST
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